George H. W. Bush broccoli comments

Photographic portrait of George H. W. Bush
George H. W. Bush in 1989

During his tenure as the 41st president of the United States, George H. W. Bush frequently mentioned his distaste for broccoli, famously saying: "I do not like broccoli. And I haven't liked it since I was a little kid. And my mother made me eat it. Now I'm president of the United States. And I'm not gonna eat any more broccoli!"[1] Bush's views on broccoli were seen as out of touch with Americans, as broccoli was becoming more popular and was referred to as the "vegetable of the 80s".[2]

Hillary Clinton and Tipper Gore, wives of Democratic nominees for president and vice president Bill Clinton and Al Gore, were seen holding a sign which stated: "Let's put broccoli in the White House again".[3] After Bush left office, he occasionally mentioned his dislike of broccoli. Bush's son, George W. Bush, mentioned his father's dislike of broccoli in a eulogy at his father's funeral.[4]

  1. ^ "George Bush's broccoli rebellion". Chicago Tribune. March 25, 1990. ProQuest 282774823.
  2. ^ Duston, Diane (March 24, 1990). "Bush out of step on broccoli". The Gettysburg Times. Archived from the original on October 9, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021 – via Google News.
  3. ^ Bhat, Devika (July 11, 2013). "Obama Puts Broccoli Before Burgers In New Greens Policy". The Times. Archived from the original on October 18, 2020. Retrieved December 7, 2021.
  4. ^ "Read George W. Bush's full eulogy for his father". NBC News. 2018-12-05. Retrieved 2024-03-23.