newing, didn't have to go for public service, but he did. in world war ii and the white house, where you see the flag is at half staff. deign are that perino -- dana perino next, she served often president bush's son, she knows the family well. dana: good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. we continue to remember the life and legacy of george herbert walker bush, the 41 president of the united states. he passed away last night. hello, everyone, i'm dana perino, and this is a special two-hour edition of "the daily briefing." ♪ ♪ dana: the former president is set to lie in state at the u.s. capitol for two todays starting monday evening. rick leventhal is outside the bush residence in houston. rick? >> reporter: dana, we're outside the gates of the community where george h.w. bush spent about the past 24 years with his wife barbara not long

after leaving the white house until her passing in april of this year. the longest married presidential couple in history at 73 years, and we've been watching as people bring flowers here to the gates of this community including a couple of funeral wreaths that were hung earlier today joining some of the other bouquets and american flags that have been left behind to honor the combat navy pilot who flew 58 missions in world war ii, the son of a senator, the father of a president and a governor. george h.w. bush was a congressman, an ambassador to the u.n., director of the cia and, of course, a two-term vice president under ronald reagan before his four years in the white house beginning january 20, 1989. and in a statement his son, the former president -- george w. bush -- wrote after 94 remarkable years, our dear dad has died. george h.w. bush was the best dad a son or daughter could ask for. the entire bush family is deeply grateful for 41st life and love, for the compassion of those who

have cared and prayed for dad and for the condolences of our friends and fellow citizens. his son jeb tweeted earlier this morning: i already miss the greatest human being i will ever know. love you, dad. bush 4 is, dana -- 41, dana, as you know, left behind 5 children, 17 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. dana: and, rick, former prime ministers are also paying -- former presidents are also paying tribute. >> reporter: yeah, including from former president barack obama and his wife michelle who posted a statement that read in part: america has lost a patriot and a humble servant, adding after 73 years of marriage george and barbara bush are together again now, two points of life that never died, two points of life that ignited countless others with their example. and president donald trump and the first lady also released a statement: through his disarming wit and unwavering commitment to faith, family, country, president bush inspired

generations of his fellow americans to public service to be, in his words, a thousand points of light, illuminating the greatness, hope and opportunity of america to the world. of course, as you know, dana, george bush also sky dived on his 75th, his 80th, his 85th and his 90th birthdays. and on the occasion of his 80th birthday, we want to read you a quote from george h.w. bush who said satchel page was right when he said don't look over your shoulder, something might be gaining on you, so i want to look forward. every night barbara and i say our prayers, we count our many blessings, and we give thanks to god. you know better than anyone, dana, what a remarkable man he was. dana: i do. i appreciate you're there in houston, rick. thank you for that report. president george h.w. bush overseeing several global changes during his time in office. the fall of the berlin wall, tiananmen square massacre, the start of the gulf war are just

some of the significant events that happened under his watch. gillian turner has more from washington. >> reporter: few, if any, american presidents arrived at 1600 pennsylvania avenue with the breadth and depth of foreign policy and national security experience that george h.w. bush brought to his presidency. early on he made the ouster of strongmen who threatened freedom and democracy around the world a priority, ousting panama's noriega and saddam hussein from kuwait within his next two years. >> a new breeze is growing, and a world refreshed by freedom seems reborn. for in man's heart if not in fact, the day of the dictator is over. >> reporter: when his term commenced in 1989, the soviet union rivaled the u.s. for superpower status, the cold war was in full swing, the berlin wall divided east from west, and eastern europe's communist bloc seemed poised to expand. when it ended four years later, the world order had been rearranged, something bush recognized even before it had

manifested itself. and he helped steer the free world forward through transition. >> the biggest thing that has happened in the world in my life, in our lives is this: by the grace of god, america won the cold war. >> reporter: but his foreign policy challenges spread wide across the globe. he worked with south africa's african national congress led my nelson mandela as the apartheid government was shuttered after half a century. anti-communist demonstrate theres took to tiananmen square in the fallout of the e egregious human rights violations. his most formidable overseas challenge when he faced the decision point of whether to lead the country into war. >> five months ago saddam hussein started this cruel war against kuwait. tonight the battle has been joined. >> reporter: he put together one of the most successful international military coalitions of the 20th century. thirty nations, backed by a u.n. mandate including the soviet

union and several arab nations that expunged saddam from kuwait within 100 hours. dana: thank you, gillian. president trump meeting with chinese president xi in argentina, and just molts ago he spoke about -- moments ago he spoke about the former president. >> we'll be spending three days of mourning and three days of celebrating a really great man's life. so we look forward to doing that, and he certainly deserves it. he really does. he's a very special person. i spoke with jeb and george today, and we had great conversations, and we, we discussed actually for quite some time their father and how much they loved him and how much that he loved them. dana: fox news sunday anchor chris wallace joins us from summy valley, california. -- simi valley, california. chris, of course, you covered the vice presidency, the presidency and then, of course,

the after-life, as laura bush has called it, the post-presidency. and last night i heard all of your remembrances, and i wonder just -- after you've slept on it a day and had a day, what are your thoughts now? chris: well, he was a very special man, and i don't think it's an exaggeration to say that i loved him. i particularly his post-presidency, because i think you're more reflective in that situation. i had two opportunities to talk with him. once when they reopened the bush library in 2007 at texas a&m in college station and then again at his office in houston. very relaxed, spent a lot of time with him, and he was just a very special man; reflective, honorable, decent, tough, took his situation and his jobs, his responsibilities seriously but didn't take himself seriously, great fun to be around. i'm not telling you anything you didn't know about him. and this wonderful mixture.

and i heard brit hume say it this morning, and he was exactly right, this kind of gentleness of soul but a kind of steely ambition and competitiveness as well. he was a very special man, you know? all kinds of cliches, we won't see his like again, someone for the ages. it's all true when it comes to george h.w. bush. dana: it certainly is. i remember in the west wing when you heard that the 41s were going to be in town and visiting, everyone would get a little excited, because he would come around and visit everyone. one time my door was closed, and he said who's in charge around here, and my assistant said, oh, sir, she would love to see you, and he said, no, i couldn't possibly bother her. and they said, no, she would wallet to see you, for sure. i said, sir, i'm so sorry, i was on the phone with karl rove. and he said, oh, i love a name-dropper. [laughter] he had a way of making light of the situation. i want to read you a quote from

dan quayle: nothing was ever a big show with george bush. the theatrics of politics ran against his nature and upbringing. he gave the job his best and expected people to notice, and he always did what he thought right. he could have paid more attention to his own speeches and would doubtless have fared better if he had written more of them himself. politics doesn't always reward modesty, however, one lesson of 1992. your thoughts on that. chris: well, there are a lot of lessons of 1992, and one of the things that i've been reflecting on and i want to talk about on "fox news sunday" tomorrow is how much our politics has changed since back then, since the era of reagan and bush, and not for the better. and i'm sure people will hear that and think, well, he's attacking donald trump. i'm not putting this on trump, i'm not putting it on the republicans or democrats. in a sense, i'm putting it on everybody -- dana: yep. chris: we view politics now as a

zero sum game, and nothing much gets done. and a lot got done in the '80 and early '90s with the sensibility of a reagan and a bush. and you talk about his modesty. the fact is that his mother, dorothy, very much told him not to use the word "i," which i guess is admirable when you're a kid, not necessarily so helpful or productive when you're the president of the united states, but he very much didn't like to use the "i" word, didn't like to brag about himself, and some people think that modesty, that self-depracation, self-effacement may have worked to his disadvantage as we got into the '90s and he faced bill clinton. dana: and yet he lived true to himself. i wanted to play a very special interview that took place in 999. -- 1999. this is former white house press secretary for 43, tony snow, who was also a bush 41 speech writer interviewing george h.w. bush about the letter writing. this is in 1999. take a listen. >> i've always felt life was

unfair. millie's book raised $1,200,000 for literacy, and the damn dog couldn't read one single word. >> the thing that struck me is how expressive you are in these letters. you're a good letter writer. >> well, i've never been accused of being too articulate, but i like writing letters. it started off in my life i'd come home from, you know, visiting some friend in the adirondacks or something -- have you written your thank you letter? my mother. [laughter] so it started with that kind of thing, and then i love staying in touch. now i'm an e-mail man. >> you wrote a letter where you said, well, you're not scared, but you're still on the ground. >> yeah. >> later you find in the number of guys you went into combat with, most of them died. >> i think we lost 9 pilots out of 15, original pilots in our squadron. some were killed in accidents later, some in accidents before we went into combat. and so it was traumatic.

and then we saw, i saw -- right in front of my eyes on the deck of the carrier -- chief petty officer sliced in three parts by a propeller blade. and i was standing from here to that light over there, tony. boy, it woke me up in a hurry. >> years later as commander in chief, you had to send young men into combat. is that the hardest thing you ever had to do as president? >> tony, it is by far. i mean, budget decisions and decisions affecting urban tranquility, they're tough decisions, but in my view, there's nothing like the decision of having to send somebody else's son or daughter into harm's way. dana: chris wallace, i'll just ask for your thoughts on that. chris: well, first of all, so wonderful to hear from two great men there, not only president bush, but also our colleague, tony snow who, of course, was the original anchor of "fox news sunday." we have an interview, actually, a long piece on sunday which has interviews that i did with

president bush in his post-presidency, and it gives you such an insight into him and his self-reflection, his values. i was fortunate enough to get a couple of those letters from george h.w. bush and a couple of those e-mails, and they are treasured possessions -- dana: absolutely. chris: one of my guestbooks that i have that i just treasure -- and, you know, it was a thrill to get it, and it was so personal. it was, obviously, not written by a committee or his secretary, he sat there and wrote it, often handwritten or, you know, typed it on his computer and sent it to you. and it was a message -- he was a very, very special man, you know, and so many ways in which this is consequential, the last combat veteran of world war ii to be a president, the last member of the greatest generation to be a president. this is the real turning of a page. and it's interesting being here at the reagan library here in simi valley. and, of course, reagan and bush, you know, 12 years ran the

country and ran it pretty darn well. dana: chris wallace, everyone will tune in to see you tomorrow on "fox news sunday." thanks for joining us this afternoon. chris: yeah, just real quick. can i say also we'll have the only joint live interview with vice president dick cheney who, of course, was secretary of defense under president bush and james baker who was his secretary of state. his closest friend and, in fact, was with him when he passed away yesterday. dana: and the peter baker story in "the new york times" about those last hours is absolutely stunning. it's the one that broke me today. i'll tune in for sure. thank you, chris. chris: thank you, dana. dana: we'll continue to remember the life and times of former president george h.w. bush. next, we'll head to the world of country music -- you know i love that place -- where the 41st president will be remembered very fondly. building a better bank

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♪ ♪ >> i think historians are going to say that we did pretty well. and that's all right for me.

i'm not in any rush. be in heaven, look down, let 'em make that determination. dana: that's former president george h.w. bush on his legacy, the 41st president. he passed away last night at 94 years old. mr. bush, believe it or not, he had a love of country music, and joining me now is country singer larry gatlin of the gatlin brothers. you're there on skype, and you know we love you any way we can get you, and you look great there, larry. i know you were very close to the bush family. tell me how that relationship started. >> well, thanks. good to see you, dana. i'm very moved by this whole, this whole day. i was 16 years old, and we lived in to december saw, texas -- odess action. and my brothers and sister, you know, sang around in churches and at gospel concerts. if i'd have been 64, if i'd have been 14, before he was president bush, he was just george bush. and he came to odess around deny

odessa for a fundraiser, and we raised a little money. and 18, 19 years later after he had, you know, was elected with president reagan, we were at a big function at the white house to celebrate that, and i walked up. and in the interim, he had seen us on tv, but i had never seen him since then. he said, young man, he said, i saw y'all on tv about a year ago, and i told barbara, that's those snotty-nosed kids from odessa that sang for our first congressional run. [laughter] he was a wonderful man. i've written an op-ed to be on foxnews.com tomorrow, and here's how i started. i said, dear reader, i have never met a finer man than president george h.w. bush, and guess what? neither have you. dana: right. >> so that's the way i feel about him and miss b. great

friends and they will be missed. deign dame one of the things i was curious about, tell us what he was like behind the scenes when he wasn't having to, you know, be in front of the media, and he wanted to be entertained, and he was enjoying time with his friends and family. >> well, he was like your favorite uncle, you know, or your grandpa. he had that charm about him that, the self-depracating humor. you know, the thing i admire -- i mean, he loved for us to sing. he invited skip david, janice and i went on a couple of those greek island cruises with him and miss b. a few years ago. another transplanted texan used to say you can tell what kind of person someone is by the way they treat people who can't do anything for 'em. dana: right. >> president bush treated every -- oh, yeah, i guess they could have voted for him, but i mean, right here, couldn't do anything, and he treated them with dignity, class, and we

need, obviously, a lot more of that. i can learn from it too. help me, god. dana: so his adopted home was texas. he settled in houston. and was that his favorite song of the gatlin brothers? >> he loved that one. ♪ houston, houston -- >> miss b. loved one of my gospel songs -- ♪ lord, help me walk -- you know, the one that elvis recorded, john cash and those folks. they loved the old gospel hymns. just, he was every man. like i say, he could sit with the kings of the world, and he could sit with the lowest beggar down in the bowery. and george h.w. bush, human being. dana: you should take great heart, larry gatlin, that he thought so well of you, and you can call him a friend in your life. we appreciate you coming on today. we'll see you this week. >> thank you, god bless. i'm humbled by the whole deal.

dana: me too. bye-bye. also, the oak ridge boys speaking out on the loss of their friend and fan. the group first sang for the president in 1982 and continued ever since. lead singer duane allen issuing a statement today saying, he was like a daddy figure to me, and he was all about making everyone around him have a good time. the sting of death always hurts, but i have so many memories to make me smile. the oak ridge boys have sung "amazing grace" for him on air force one, in kennebunkport, at the white house and over the phone when he was of in the hospital. however, singing "amazing grace" at his funeral will be the most difficult assignment we will ever have. >> he was probably the best prepared president we ever had with his background having won and lost a political race, served in china as ambassador to the united nations, vice president of the united states. so he knew what he was doing, and he knew that if he was going to put the country first --

which was always his goal -- that he had to work with other people and get a result. dana: that's tennessee senator lamar alexander describing george h.w. bush as the most prepared president, and we continue our look back on the life and legacy of our 41st president. meanwhile, president trump is holding a high stakes meeting with world leaders at the g20 summit, hoping to make headway on a number of issues including trade. the latest from argentina up next. ♪ ♪ rpopulation is self-employed. lobster fisherman is the lifeblood of this town. by 2030, half of america may take after stonington, self-employed and without employer benefits. we haven't had any sort of benefit plans and we're trying to figure that out now. if i had had a little advice back then, i'd be in a different boat today, for sure. plan your financial life with prudential. bring your challenges.

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confusion, and headache. check your blood sugar. low blood sugar can be serious and may be life-threatening. injection site reactions may occur. tell your prescriber about all medicines you take and all your medical conditions. taking tzds with insulins like tresiba® may cause serious side effects like heart failure. your insulin dose shouldn't be changed without asking your prescriber. get medical help right away if you have trouble breathing, fast heartbeat, extreme drowsiness, swelling of your face, tongue or throat, dizziness or confusion. i found my tresiba® reason. find yours. ask your diabetes care specialist about tresiba®. dana: a fox news alert, defense secretary james mattis slamming russia at the reagan national defense forum, the pentagon chief saying moscow tried to interfere in the midterm elections last month. jen interdriven is -- jennifer griffin is in simi valley, california. what other highlight can you tell us? >> reporter: this is my sixth year, and certainly the passing of president bush has changed the discussion here for the

better in many ways. it's been poignant hearing the tributes paid to president bush who was certainly a loyal, loyal, you know, sidekick, if you will, to president reagan as they ended the cold war. president bush if, of course, was in charge when the wall finally came down, and the way he treated his enemies, there's been a lot of discussion about how he never wanted to humiliate those that we beat. the focus here was supposed to be on the shift away from the middle east to great power competition, to focusing on china and russia and how to recalibrate the defense budget so that the u.s.' position for those, the future, something that president reagan did so well with his peace through strength and large military budgets. we expected a fight between, a partisan fight, if you will, between those who think the defense budget is maybe too large at $716 billion and also a

discussion of what will it mean if president trump actually goes forward and causes the defense department to cut by 5%. that would be about $30 billion. i'm about to have a discussion with senators joni ernst and jeanne shaheen, both on the armed services committee, about the way forward and should the u.s. be positioned in the middle east. there was an interesting survey showing that half of americans do not belief the last 17 years of war in iraq and afghanistan have come to anything. they believe that we have failed in the middle east. so those discussions ongoing. you mentioned bret baier's interview with, a rare interview with secretary mattis. he sat down with him just moments ago, and here's what mattis said about russia. >> mr. putin is clearly a slow learner. we're dealing with someone that we simply cannot trust. >> has the relationship worsened since you've been defense secretary? >> there is no doubt the relationship has worsened. he tried again to muck around in

our elections this last month. >> reporter: i think that's a first time we've heard a senior u.s. official say that russia tried to interfere with these last midterm elections, dana. dana: i think it is. also in the midst of everything today the, iran has test fired a ballistic missile with, apparently, frightening capabilities? how great is that threat? >> reporter: well, it's very interesting. this morning we woke up with a press release from secretary of state mike pompeo mentioning that iran had just tested this ballistic missile. i will read from that statement, because it certainly got everyone's attention the here at the forum. he said the iranian regime has just test fired a mode yum-range ballistic missile that is capable of carrying multiple warheads. the missile has a range that allows it to strike parts of europe and anywhere in the middle east. important to point out for some perspective that while this is in violation of u.n. security council resolutions, it is not the kind of intercontinental

ballistic missile that north korea was firing just a year ago. in fact, when we were at this conference, it was the third icbm that north korea had fired, and it was capable of reaching the east coast of the united states. so things have changed in that last -- in this last year. north korea not firing those missiles, but now focus on iran and this, the continued testing against these u.n. security council resolutions, dana. dana: and, jen, it was just a coincidence that you and bret and chris wallace happened to be in simi valley at the reagan library. i'm curious what you've heard today at the defense forum ant president george h.w. bush and his passing. >> reporter: well, so many tributes to president bush, so many remembering how he was the youngest naval aviator, how he volunteered right after pearl harbor. he was a student anded had just graduated from boarding school and could have gone to work on wall street, but instead he served the nation.

the description of him being a pilot shot down and rescued by that sub marine in the pacific -- submarine in the pacific conflict. i think secretary mattis put it best when he paid tribute to president bush just moments ago. >> here in the valley where the spirit of the gipper lives on, we cannot begin here today without acknowledging the passing of that true patriot, president george bush. he certainly, in the department of defense, we saw him as one of our own, for obvious reasons. one of the youngest aviators in our history. >> reporter: a lot of discussion here at the forum about how to return the youth of america to this sense of service, the kind of service that president bush embodied. dana? dana: and i think you'll see it, jen, in a lot of the veterans, from republicans and democrats that were just elected to this new congress. there's many more of them, and i think they follow in those footsteps very well, indeed.

jennifer griffin, thank you. president trump holding a bilateral dinner with chinese president xi jinping. it comes as the u.s. and china are engaged in an escalating trade dispute. meanwhile, the loss of former president george h.w. bush is being felt by world leaders attending the g20 summit. white house correspondent kevin corke is live in buenos aires. kevin. >> reporter: dana, good to be with you, and my personal condolences to you and all my other friends who, obviously, are very close to the bush family. in fact, online and on air, we've heard the president express his condolences to the bush family and, indeed, as the entire nation mourns the loss of the 41st president of the united states. >> we extended our best wishes and he was, he was a very fine man. i met him on numerous occasions. he was just a high quality man who truly loved his family. one thing that came loud and clear. he was very proud of his family. very much loved his family. so he was a terrific guy, and

he'll be missed, and he led a full life. >> reporter: led a full life, indeed. no, you heard from the president there, the first lady also taking to twitter today. she wrote simply, my heart goes out to the entire bush family. now, the comments come on a day when many of the world's leaders here in buenos aires shared memories of their best recollection of president bush, the elder. and while many took to twitter or issued statements, it was the statement of a former world leader that really caught the eyes of many, former russian leader mikhail gorbachev recalling mr. bush's friendship at the end of the cold war writing in a statement: it was a time of great change demanding great responsibility from everyone. the result was the end of the cold war and nuclear arms race. my wife and i deeply appreciated the attention, kindness and simplicity typical of george and barbara bush as well as the rest of their large, friendly family. a powerful sentiment of unity on

a deeply divided world, clearly. now, i also should point this out, dana. as you mentioned early on, the dinner between the leaders of the world's two largest economies is underway here tonight, and we're certainly looking forward later on this evening to a full readout of president trump's gathering with chinese president xi jinping. a couple of quick nuggets i want to share with the screwers at -- viewers at home, the g20 initiative has been agreed to as it relates to the paris climate accord, with the notable exclusion of the u.s. and i should also point this out, dana, we have just learned that the president, upon returning back to washington aboard air force one, will then send the presidential aircraft to houston, texas, to ferry then the casket of the late president bush. thame dana's so -- dana: that is so wonderful any. thank you, kevin, and get home safely. >> and the bush family we're happy, and we cry when we're

sad, and we get very emotional. and i, i think, i think describing it would be there can be nothing in which i would have more pride as a dad. and barbara was the same way. she'll be sitting there watching and pride of a mother and father. your kid hits a triple in little league, his kid is the fastest guy in the class, his kid gets all as and comes home with a report card s and mine's 43rd president. [laughter] cain dana's president bush talking about his son ahead of his inauguration in 2001. as the nation mourns the loss of the 41st president, president trump ordering american flags to fly at half staff for 30 days in his ohioan. in his honor. susan page is washington bureau chief for "usa today." i'm going to pack as much as i can in here, super. i didn't know this, he was the first politician you ever

interviewed. tell us about that. >> he was the first national political figure i ever interviewed. it was in 1980. it was also george bush's first presidential campaign. it was before the iowa caucuses, long plane ride. we were both on a plane from chicago to philadelphia, sitting back in coach, is and he let me interview him for more than an hour. most politicians, as you know, would not give you that kind of time. and then i'm so touched that then 37 years later i interviewed the president once again for the final time, almost exactly a year ago, in november of 2017 in what i believe was his last interview with a journalist. he was really a remarkable man who was open. didn't always like what reporters wrote, but he was really an open figure to the reporters who covered him. dana: you're writing a book, a biography of barbara bush that will be out next spring, and i wondered -- i was hoping you could help describe for people, because those of us who got to witness their interactions together, how would you describe their relationship, their

strength of it? >> you know, they were so complimentary. they kind of filled in each other. their partnership over 73 years made each of them a bigger, better figure. they were indispensable to one another. you know, he relied on her to have a sharp eye, to always have his own interests at heart, to be a good judge of people, to be a little suspicious sometimes in a way that he was not. and she counted on him in every way. she just adored him. i think there's just not another word for it. dana: must have been love at first sight. and it was enduring, indeed. i also wanted to ask about his leadership with bill clinton -- his relationship with bill clinton that comes after, of course, he lost to bill clinton. but there was this graciousness and the letter that he wrote to bill clinton that was in the oval office desk that said you are our president. we'll be rooting for you. and then they go on to have what is a pretty good friendship. >> well, you know, there was a period there after the election

in 1992 where president bush was very gracious in the transition, enormously so, wrote that beautiful letter. but he was bitter for a while, angry, at sea a bit after being rejected by american voters. he had expected to win that race. not at the very end, but i think he was surprised that bill clinton beat him. it took some time for that to heal, and i think two things made that. one is he and clinton got to know each other, especially after clinton also left the white house. also, once george w. bush was elected president, any bad feeling that president bush had, i think, got washed away by pride in his son. dana: tell me how he approached being a father but also being a former president where you could offer advice, but you might not want to, and the criticism bothered 41 million more than it did -- almost more than it did 43. >> yeah. i think isn't that what parents are for, to take umbrage even when your children don't? and i think that president george h.w. bush was very

sensitive about criticism of his son. and he was also pretty disciplined. and you may know this better than i, disciplined about not offering advice to his son when it wasn't asked for. now, his mother was less disciplined about that. she was much more willing to give advice whether he wanted to hear it or not -- [laughter] dana: yeah. 43 used to say i got my daddy's eyes and my mama's mouth. >> that's so true. dana: we talk a lot about george w. bush and jeb, but there's many other children, many grandchildren. this is -- he wasn't just a president to them. and to lose both barbara bush and 41 in the same year, just about seven months apart, tell me about that as we wrap up this interview here. >> so 17 grandchildren and a very close family. and, you know, when you talk to the bush about a dynasty as i did with barbara bush in particular, they saw a family dynasty, and that was a source of enormous pride.

dana: susan page, thank you so much, we'll look forward to your book in the spring. >> thank you. deign daib and i'll talk to larry sabato next about how president bush reflected the attitudes and virtues of the greatest generation. complete, balanced nutrition... for strength and energy! whoo-hoo! great-tasting ensure. with nine grams of protein and twenty-six vitamins and minerals. ensure. now up to 30 grams of protein for strength and energy! that skills like teamwork, attention to detail, and customer service are critical to business success. the kind of skills, that work for you.

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the united states virgin islands. ♪ ♪ >> we are americans, part of something larger than ourselves. for two centuries we've done the hard work of freedom, and tonight we lead the world in facing down a threat to decency and humanity. dana: that's president george h.w. bush delivering the state of the union in 1991 with a very young dan quayle behind him, speaking of the news for courage and resolution. my next guest saying this about 41. quote: in many ways he reflected

the attitudes and virtues of the greatest generation. he sacrificed to serve over and over in important positions. i'm joined by larry sabato, director of the university of virginia center for politics. larry, we've been talking to a lot of people who knew the bushes personally and, of course, i know that you had met them. but you also have a presidential historian's perspective, and i wonder if you could share that with us now. >> well, one thing that i think's very important, dana, is that george bush's presidency may have been one term, but a friend made this argument to me today -- and i have to agree with it -- he was probably the best first term, one-term president that we had in american history, and there were some good people like the adams, for example, or james k. polk. but he achieved a lot, and his presidency is underrated. the great thing is that over time that tends to be corrected. and historians look back with more detachment. i think that's going to happen to president bush 41.

dana: do you think that's partly because of his approach, which was not to gloat, in the post-presidency, to step off the stage? >> yes. both very admirable qualities that we'd like to bring back in lots of ways. our former presidents don't always stay as quiet as they should for as long as they should, but one thing you mentioned defined president bush's entire life which really was humility. the absence of bragging. you know, his mother insisted that it wasn't just his mother telling him never to brag, never to toot your own horn. i think he deeply believed that because that's the way he was raised, and it was the society he grew up in, the society that produced the greatest generation and won world war ii. dana: i read somewhere today that in the 1992 campaign for his re-election that there were political consultants -- this was in andy ferguson's piece that i highly recommend to everybody. he was a speech writer for

george h.w. bush, it's in the weekly standard. and the consultants said don't talk about his war experience, because that will make him look too old compared to bill clinton. and -- but i further read as a war hero, as part of the greatest generation, it was not in his nature to really talk about his war service. >> yes. he very rarely went on at any length about it. we had that one video clip that's played over and over again, but as you read about what his, what the people who rescued him on the ship said and what his colleagues who served with him said, it's very obvious that this was a man of incredible courage at a very young age, 18 years old. how many of us could ever say that or could do that? dana: and also just on a domestic policy front, if you could make a comment about the americans with disabilities act. >> yes. again, this is part of the underrated presidency. i think that's his signal legislative achievement of his

presidency, the americans with disabilities act. and, of course, there were others involved, senator dole, for example. but that was, that was something that president bush pushed for very hard. and think about what our society would be like for those with disabilities had that act not been passed. that was bipartisan, dana, in a way that we rarely see anymore. democrats and republicans came together and said we need to do more for those who are disabled. and we've done it. we should all be proud of it. we should be proud of president bush for leading that effort. dana: we really appreciate you joining us on this saturday afternoon. larry sabato, thank you. >> thank you very much, dana. dana: and as we continue our special coverage, we'll take a look at the charities president bush helped found which benefited so many. in-laws were coming, a little bit of water, it really- it rocked our world. i had no idea the amount of damage that water could do. we called usaa. and they greeted me as they always do.

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dana: we're back now, and nags at half staff today at the white house for former president george h.w. bush. the 41 president also being remembered for his philanthropic efforts and general generosity. ellison barber is live with the details. >> reporter: when he was a child, former president george h.w. bush had a unique nickname, his mom reportedly called him have half. as he grew up, the former

president offered strange thers a lot more than half of a sandwich. then-president bush signed into law the national community service act of 1990. it authorized several programs intended to encourage americans to get involved in full or part-time projects that helped ores -- others, projects that combated illiteracy and poverty, prompts that helped provide americans with job skills and encouraged americans and institutions to the volunteer to help each other, to work to solve some of the social challenges that americans face. when president h.w. bush left the oval office according to his successor, mr. bush had one single request. >> the only thing george herbert walker bush asked me to do is to preserve the points of light. [applause] and now hundreds of millions of

hours of volunteer work have been done. >> reporter: h.w. bush became great friends with the man who beat him in 1992 when mother nature devastated this country and others, former presidents bill clinton and george h.w. bush came together time and time again. they raised millions for relief efforts. presidents all got together to raise more money when hurricane harvey hit, dana. bush is being described as so many things today, but selfish is not a word we've heard. dana: never. thank you, ellison. and we've got one more hour of this special edition of "the daily briefing." karl rove, brit hume on deck, and we have a very special interview that my friend tony snow did with president bush in 1999. come. -[ gasps ] a bigger room?! -how many of you use car insurance? -oh. -well, what if i showed you this? -[ laughing ] ho-ho-ho! -wow. -it's a computer.

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♪ ♪ dana: the world mourning the passing of a political giant and public servant as former president george h.w. bush dies at the age of 94. hello, everyone, i'm dana perino, this is the second hour of a special edition of "the daily briefing." ♪ dana: tributes are flowing in as world leaders and politicians from both sides of the aisle honor a war hero who also served as our 41st president. he is set to lie in state at the u.s. capitol for two days starting monday evening. william la jeunesse is live from college station, texas, where the george bush library and presidential museum is located. what's the mood like there

today? >> reporter: well, we've talked to some of the people going in, they actually wanted to come today to celebrate the president and some of his accomplishments here at the library. as you know, this is where former first lady barbara bush is buried. there's a pond and a bridge and kind of a wooded area behind the buildings you see and, of course, former president bush will join her here next week. i do want to talk a little bit about the library and some of the things that you see inside there, it celebrates his life, his accomplishments beginning, obvious, when he was a navy pilot in world war ii. he was shot down, he delivered his payload, knocking out a enemy radio tower before, of course, ditching in the pacific where he was rescued. also following college, of course, he made his own life here in texas as an entry-level job at an oil company before making his fortune in the oil business, staying near texas, rubbing for congress and winning twice -- running for congress and winning twice before going on to being envoy to china, running the c irk a and, of

course, he did run for president, losing to president reagan, becoming the vice president before succeeding him in 1988. >> i've fought for my country, i've served, i've built, and i'll go from the hills to the hollows, from the cities to the suburbs, to the loneliest town on the quietest street to take our message of hope and growth for every american to every american. i will keep america moving forward, always forward, for a better america, for an endless, enduring dream and a thousand points of light. >> reporter: but he was most remembered in some ways for his accomplishments in foreign policy. of course, you have the first gulf war which ended after 100 hours with colin powell and norman schwarzkopf there. he also signed a reduction in nuclear and chemical weapons with the former soviet union, the reunification of germany.

all those things and a deal to reduce the national debt, he made a promise and yet he had to break it which he said was the biggest mistake in his political career. here's that bite. >> my opponent won't rule out raising taxes, but i will, and the congress will push me to raise taxes, and i'll say, no, and they'll push, and i'll say, no. and they'll push again, and i'll say to them finish. >> no! >> read my lips -- no new taxes. [cheers and applause] >> reporter: of course -- [laughter] what i meant to say there, dana, which of course he's remembered for is he did raise taxes in a bipartisan deal with democrats to reduce the national debt. but taxpayers and voters really never forgave him for that. he lost to bill clinton, of course, in '92. he stayed out of politics, as you know, in the presidency of his son, george w. bush, became an elder statesman and is remembered for many of the things that he did, following

that raising money for tsunami victims and also for victims in africa. dana, back to you. this will be a very busy week here at the presidential library. dana: and texas a&m is lucky to have it there. thank you, william. now for international reaction to the death of george h.w. bush. greg talcott is in our loan bonn bureau are that -- london bureau with that. >> reporter: one of h.w. bush's biggest accomplishments as president was residing over the peaceful end to the cold war. with his background in military, politics, intelligence, diplomacy and as vice president at the side of president reagan, there was probably no one better equipped for the job. as a reporter, i was there at the fall of the berlin wall, the upheaval in eastern europe and former soviet union. i heard the enthusiasm for change and for the support of the u.s. and president bush. i heard frustration, too, that he wasn't doing even more. but as analysts now point out, while bush talked about the winds of change, he also talked

about helping people help themselves. a statement today from former soviet president mikhail gorbachev, he said we happened to work together in career -- in years of great changes. the result was the end of the cold war, end of the nuclear arms race. he was a genuine partner. george h.w. bush was, in fact, ahead of other western leaders. many were wary of a united germany, but bush helped a new germany to be a part of nato and the european union. here is what german chancellor angela merkel had to say today. >> i wasn't -- [inaudible] in the white house visiting george bush and he's the father or one of the fathers of the german reunification, and we will never forget that. >> reporter: amazing stuff. we, in fact, saw president bush in berlin on the 20th an -- anniversary of the fall of the wall. he said on that day the wall can

never erase your dreams. he helped a lot of people find their dreams all around the world. back to you, dana. dana: indeed. including me. greg talcott, thank you. president george h.w. bush leaves behind a decorated legacy. let's bring in karl rove, a family friend. i wondered if i could ask you to tell the viewers about the first time that you got to meet george h.w. bush. >> well, i was 22. i was the college republican national chairman, and i was summoned to the fourth floor of the republican headquarters. the college republicans were in the subbasement underneath the parking garage -- [laughter] so we were not exactly near the top of the power heap, but we were summoned for a he canture, me and my young executive director, a kid from south carolina named harvey lee atwater. and lee and i went up to meet the chairman. he was young and athletic and strong and charismatic, and he

gave us a lecture about not messing up, not making mistakes, not making problems, not creating scandals, spend our money wisely, do the things we were asked to do. and at the end of the conversation, he said, now, boys, do either one of you have questions? and lee atwater said, yes, mr. chairman, i have a question, is it true you have a boston whaler with two 87 evenruds, and chairman bush said, well, yes, lee, i do. lee said, can i borrow it this weekend? there's a pretty girl coming up from south carolina, and it would really impress you. he had just enough chutzpah that despite the fact that he'd met us for less than ten minutes, he gave lee the bite. dana: wow. >> they eventually got married. dana: that's a great story. i always love to hear it. 41 had a great sense of humor, right? so that's important when you're president. there's a photo that we have that's pretty amazing, it's of arnold. schwarzenegger in 199 1

is sledding at camp david, having a lot of fun. and listen to this, tank that carvey -- dana carvey comes to the white house in 1992 at 41's request. >> i've been studying him since yesterday, and i think i've actually -- [laughter] the way to do the president is to start out with mr. rogers -- ♪ it's a beautiful day in the neighborhood -- [laughter] then you add a little john wayne, here we go, let's go over the wrench, you put 'em together, you've got george herbert walker bush. [laughter] [cheers and applause] dana: that was in 1992, karl. the ability to laugh at yourself and to have fun in life despite politics. your thoughts on that. >> right. well, he had a great sense of humor right to the end. i got to go see him in mid november, i got a call saying that time was running short, and he wanted to see me. i went down and had a wonderful visit with him. and the sense of humor was there. i mean, tells the worst jokes in the world. [laughter] his pals would send him e-mail jokes which he would then sort

of pick jokes that he felt could be circulated more widely. they're the most dreadful things you've ever seen in your life, but he had a great sense of humor and fun to be around. once i was at, up in kennebunkport, and as you know, he had a very fast boat. and so we got on the boat, and this is about six or seven years ago. he was already losing sort of the ability to walk, but he loved driving that boat. he said, karl, can you see that chase boat behind us, i look around us, and there's a fast boat filled with secret service and divers. i said, yes, mr. president, i see it. he says, tell me when you can't see it anymore. [laughter] and about that moment, we got to the exit to the kennebunkport port, and he just rammed it down and off we go like 70 miles an hour, bouncing up and down. and pretty soon, about 5-10 minutes, i turn behind, and i can't see the chase boat. i said, mr. president, i can't see the chase boat. he pulls back until he says met

me know when you see them again. as soon as they got close to us, i said, mr. president, they're pretty close, he rammed it again. [laughter] dana: the one time i got to go on that boat once for lunch. a whole bunch of us went over, he took us for lunch, and i tried to be real brave. i kept looking at laura bush, because she was very stoic and calm, and i am not. [laughter] we sat there and, obviously, we were in very good hands. karl, my last point to you, obviously, there's wonderful, fond memories. we learned today it was president george w. bush who last spoke with his father before he passed away telling him he loved his dad, and his final words were "i love you too." >> you know, the bond between those two men is extraordinary. i met 43 when i was 20, six weeks or eight weeks after i met president bush 41. he gave me a job. and one of my first jobs about a month in was to give the keys to the family car to his son who was then at harvard getting his

mba. president bush 41's car was a, had levi strauss interior, a purple gremlin, it was the ugliest car. the bond between those two men was extraordinary. the values and character of president bush 41 are the greatest gift that he has given his family, particularly his eldest son, and that served president bush 41 so well over this extraordinary life and have served his family so well in all of the accomplishments. dana: karl rove, he loved you too. have a good afternoon. >> and i loved him. i loved him. dana: bye-bye. we'll talk about the special relationship between george h.w. bush and the man who defeated him for a second term.

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♪ ♪ >> i did my best, and i tried my hardest, and i did it, i think,

honorably. and so now i'm free, and i'm free to set my own priorities. and my own priorities no longer involve soing the problems of the -- solving the problems of the world or trying to take legislative initiatives that might lift someone else up. dana: that was former president george h.w. bush on life after his presidency. now let's bring in anita mcbride who joins me on the phone as she's headed back to d.c., executive in residence at american university's center for congressional and presidential studies. she was also chief of staff to first lady laura bush, and you also have a very special relationship to your husband, of course, tim mcbride, who was a personal aide -- [laughter] to president bush. and so this is, i know, a loss that you feel very personally, anita. in the post-presidency, how did george and barbara bush try to figure out how to ease back in to civilian life? >> well, dana, as you know and you had a chance to see him often as well and just how active and busy that they were.

but at first after that loss in 1992, which hurt and they both said that it hurt, but they got to work right away and got involved on things that they had always cared about and charted a new path at home in houston and became such incredibly involved members of their community. and so many charitable organizations that they put their name behind and raised money for and made an incredible difference. that's one way he continued this legacy of service that was just part of his dna and the dna of the whole family. and we all drew energy from that. i think it was not surprising that that's how he would be involved and active and busy, but it certainly was a wonderful example. dana: we have sound here from dan quayle, his vice president, on what it was like to work with him. let's listen to that.

>> sure. >> every day i work with george bush who was an honorable, decent, caring president of the united states. when we'd have discussions in the oval office, the question that he would raise in making a decision whether it was to expel saddam hussein from kuwait or whether it was dealing with a budget matter, he would always ask what is in the best interests of the american people. dana: and, of course, anita, you know well this letter that george h.w. bush writes to incoming president bill clinton where he says there will be very tough times made even more difficult by criticism you may not think is fair. i'm not a very good one to give advice, but just don't let the critics discourage you or push you off course. you will be our president when you read this note. i wish you well, i wish your family well. your success now is our country's success. i am rooting hard for you. and i read in 43's book about 41, a portion of "my father." he says at one time after the

loss he had asked his tad where did you find the strength to be so gracious, and 41 said i had no choice. >> uh-huh. absolutely. again, country first, never about himself. just truly a selfless person. dana: yeah. >> and immediately, and even, you know, i was working in the white house after that painful lots in 1992, and his immediate direction to the staff -- as george w. bush's direction to the staff -- was do everything you can possible to make it easy for the next guy. dana: yeah. >> for bill clinton. and he did and we did. and that is really a lesson in leadership that we were all so lucky to have that example in the white house from both father and son, as you know. and from ronald reagan. dawn deign indeed. absolutely. >> who left george h.w. bush a note on january 20, 1989, that said don't let the turkeys get you down.

dana: that's one of the best quotes in presidential history. [laughter] anita mcbride, much love to your family as you get home to you. >> thank you, dana. dana: here's george h.w. bush speaking on how he would like to be remembered. >> honor. service and honor. and very at peace now with myself and with our record. and i have no regrets. i've had my chance. and as mom said, i did my best. i'm history and i'm a proud father, and i should not and must not speculate on that kind of question, sensible though it may be. dana: george h.w. bush. we're spending a second hour here just looking at the life and sometimes of george h.w. bush, the 41st president of the united states. much beloved, but that wasn't always the case as you just heard from anita mcbride. in 1992, when he lost the election to bill clinton, it

hurt deeply. they go into the post-presidency, and they have to find a way to move forward, and they were able to do that. and part of that was because they had wonderful people that had worked for them like the woman joining me now on the phone who's sheila tate. she was press secretary for former first lady nancy reagan. she's also the author of "lady in red," which is a wonderful book i highly recommend for all of you historians out there. sheila, i think this is the first time we've been able to hear from you. we'd love to get your thoughts. >> well, excuse me. when i heard this morning, i just -- i mean, i guess we all expected it, but i just, i just didn't expect it. [laughter] so i was really shocked. tawp deign yes, you know, he had been ill many times before but had come through, and this time he had decided, as we learned from the peter baker piece in "the new york times" today, that he had told his medical care team that he was not going to go back to the hospital.

and that's a very touching piece if you haven't had a chance to look at it. tell me about the relationship between the bushes and the reagans and in the post-presidency how 41 really became the one that took it all onboard because of ronald reagan's illness. >> the, i mean, bush and reagan had a very close relationship. i think they liked each other very much. they trusted each other. i think they were a good team. the wives had, you know, kind of a rocky relationship. [laughter] and i never knew why. in fact, i never knew about it until i joined vice president bush as his press secretary on his campaign and he asked me why barbara got the cold shoulder

from nancy. and i said i don't know what you're talking about. and i truly didn't. and the reason was that nancy reagan never said a thing about it. i never noticed anything. but on my book tour, i learned, oddly, that barbara had -- word had gotten back to nancy that barbara was saying that george would be a better president. and you can imagine, you know? political wives take things like that very personally. dawn deign yes, they have to. they're the eyes and ears. the political eyes and ears. there's a picture i believe you sent over, a note that 41 wrote to you after you'd been on tv talking about barbara. >> yes. dana: he signed it there. sheila, at 6:41 p.m., you were a1 on bbb, thank you. love g.b.. [laughter] >> i have one where -- and i

think i mention this in my book about how i was working for the commander of the gulf war who worked with schwarzkopf, and he wanted me, he wanted to give, he wanted to come and meet the president, because he'd been awarded this wonderful medal. never met him, and so he wanted to give a gift to him when he arrived. and he wanted it to be an ak-47 from the highway of death. thame dame oh, jeez. that's a lot. >> and i said, oh, no, no, no. dana: that wasn't going to work. >> mrs. bush doesn't like guns. dana: she'llly, i hate to cut you off, it's wonderful to hear from you. >> so he brought him something else. dana: sheila tate, we're going to let her go. thank you so much, sheila. we'll try to pick her up when we have a better line. she's a wonderful woman. i took some time to share some

thoughts on my relationship with george h.w. bush. among the things i discuss is how the bushes made me a part of the family. here's one example. when me and my husband peter visited 41 in maine this past summer, you know, that was when we thought that was the last time we would ever see him. the picture now is when we were in houston together, that was several years ago. when we left in june, i wept, and i said we may never see him again in person. there's another photo of us where there's 43, 41 and i, and 41 is holding on to my arm, and i said, no, sir, i don't want to be in the picture. i wanted to be out of the way. he said, no, get back here, we're making history. and it was really special to be a part of them, because they would figure out a way to make their life your life. and that was one of the ways that they certainly kept very ground. and you've been hearing all of that today. be sure to visit foxnews.com/opinion for the full

article. brit hume is on deck and will talk about an interview tony snow did with the president and his granddaughter, jenna bush hager, posting this photo on instagram saying, quote: waking up missing this giant of a man who gave me everything. the new capital one savor card. earn 4% cash back on dining and 4% on entertainment. now when you go out, you cash in. what's in your wallet?

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♪ ♪ dana: back in 1999 former fox news anchor tony snow sat down with george h.w. bush. snow, who served as a speech writer and then press secretary for her son -- was my boss -- talked about this with president george h.w. bush, he talked about the legacy. watch this. >> i remember working in the white house, we would always ask you what's important to you, and you always had the same pans, which was -- >> family and friends. and faith. but i couldn't talk about faith very well. i wasn't a good president in terms of mobilizing the american people to understand how important a person's faith is.

lincoln talking about spending time on your knees. you can't be president without spending time on your knees. and that was true. finish and barbara and i prayed a lot. but i couldn't share that with the more than people. i was too -- with the american people. i was maybe too episcopalian. [laughter] and i couldn't do it, i wouldn't talk about it. i knew what gave me strength, i just didn't feel that i could lecture others about the importance of faith. >> well, you also, you have made it clear many times you don't like to show off. and one of the things that's most striking in here and one of the key things that many people who know you talk about is humor. how important is humor? >> very important. and again, you know, people come up to me now and say, you're tall. [laughter] i say, yeah, i've been tall since 6-2. now that we put this book out, you've got a sense of humor. i never knew that.

yeah, i've had one for many years, and my friends know that. reagan could share that so beautifully and communicate that, and i just, i didn't come across as a guy possessed of a sense of humor. i'm not blaming the media or something, it's my own fault. [laughter] it was just that i was more introverted. i kept things that were really close to me right inside. >> except when you wrote these -- >> things that i hurt about, i kept them inside. things that i laughed about, i kept them inside. >> any regrets about that? >> yeah. yeah, i do. i do. and without injecting a political note into this, which i really don't want to do, in our family we have two sons in public life. leave out the politic. both of them can interact with people better than i did, and both of them -- i share, i felt what, you know, when i see jeb in florida or george here in texas doing something with a

hispanic group or going to a school, i felt it in my heart. and i did those things. but i didn't do it as well, outreach and showing the concern and compassion you feel as our sons did. and maybe it was my upbringing, maybe it was my mother. i've always wondered what my mother would think about this library. she might say to me, george, don't you think it's a little egotistical? [laughter] because everything in here is about me. and i felt that all my life. don't brag about yourself. i called her once when i was 16, mom, i scored three goals in soccer. long pause. how did the team do? and, you know, that stayed with me all my life. in some ways it's nice, and in some ways when you're a leader, i could have done better if i hadn't felt inhibitedded or drawn in -- inhibited or drawn in by that early training. >> when you ran for various

offices, your mother, obviously, was free to give you advice. do you feel similarly free to advise your sons? >> not -- they don't need it now. they, if -- as george said, i've got my father's looks and my mother's mouth. [laughter] and, you know, barbara might be inclined, miss frank, i call her, to call up if she saw something that she thought was out of line or where they emphasize the wrong syllable and bawl 'em out. but i don't give advice. i've given them what i can through my life and by not lecturing, but hopefully, by doing certain things. and we're very close to our four sons and our daughter, and it never occurs to me the give them advice on an issue or advice on life its own self. and if they call me and if they're hurting or they wonder how to handle something, of course i'd say what i think. but it doesn't work that way,

tony. i've given them, you know, some performance, some god, some bad in office -- some good, some bad in office, and they know where my heartbeat is. they know what i would tell them if they called up and say how will i handle this outrageous slander or this good news. >> why should anybody get involved? >> we've got the best, freest, most wonderful system in the world. i don't have any sympathy for saying, well, my -- we're 25, and all the young people i know are turned off by politics. well, dam it, go look around the world -- dammit, go look around the world and stop sitting in front of your television set bitching about it. do something about it. dana: later we'll show you president and mrs. bush taking tony on a tour of the presidential library. now or bringing in brit hume, wow, you know them, covering the

presidency, playing golf with them. your thoughts today. >> well, i was so struck by that interview that you played with tony in which you saw how easy it was for the president, for president bush to talk about his failings, to talk about his shortcomings and to be so open and up front about them and to talk about his reticence about himself and his achievements. and, you know, dana, he really had to kind of overcome that when he was running for president back in 1988. and i remember so vividly standing on the floor of the republican convention in new orleans that year when he was making his acceptance speech. and people remember that as the speech in which he talked about a thousand points of light, and they remember that speech as the time that he made the famous read my lips, no new taxes promise. but at the time, i remember from that night when he listed his achievements and described, you know, how -- why he felt he was qualified for the job. and i remember the memorable phrase that he said, he said at the end of that i -- as to whether he should take the

job -- he said i am that man. and i remembered it, and a lot of us did for quite a long time as the i am that man speech. that was a moment in which he kind of stepped out from reagan's shadow, which was a big shadow indeed, to emerge as someone who could take the job of the presidency. and i remember michael barone, the great michael barone, probably the greatest political analyst of our time, came up to me on the floor during the speech, and the speech was going very well, and he said have you ever heard him speak this well? first of all, i was honored michael barone cared what i thought. i said, no, i really hadn't, this was the best speech i'd ever heard him give, and it was, and it made a difference. and it was a moment, at least, in which he was able to suppress his innate modesty to proclaim himself qualified for the job, a job he -- dana: do you think that was because he was also a very competitive man? he may have been gentle in spirit, but he was also tough, and he maybe needed to -- maybe he knew that he needed to step out? >> yeah.

well, he was not afraid of the rough and tumble of politics. i don't think he liked it, but he would do what he had to do, and i don't think he ever played dirty. his campaign has gotten the reputation for being responsible for the famous willie horton ad that was used against dukakis. in fact, the bush campaign didn't put out that ad, that was done by a third party group. but he was willing to mix it up. he was willing to be critical. he jumped all over dan rather in that famous interview in 1988 and threw in rather's face the fact that rather had walked off the set one time and left cbs hanging when he was being pounded on i guess it was iran contra or whatever it was. and that was the example of the fact that he was a competitor, and he had determination, and he would do what he had to do up to a point. dana: right. >> at the end, that sense of honor you heard him describe was real in him, and it sets an example for all of us today and certainly has for the members of his family. dana:en wanted to get your take about his thoughts on the media.

republican president -- every president complains about their coverage. republican presidents, i would argue, have it more difficult than democrats. and while as frustrated as he might have been with the press, he actually treat them quite well. and even behind the scenes and off the record moments, what were those like for you? >> well, what i remember about him, bush was blessed -- and i think it's a blessing for any politician -- with a forgiving spirit. and so when he was criticized, you know, he didn't like it, and in some cases it was ridiculous, the criticisms of him. remember the famous "newsweek" cover or the story -- dana: the wimp factor. >> the wimp factor. he hated that because he was anything but a wimp. it was a ridiculous characterization for which evan thomas later wrote that he had been wrong. dana: right. >> but bush got over stuff like that. he didn't harbor grievances about it or grudges. i don't think he ever was particularly fond of george will who ridiculed him at times, nor do i think he was particularly fond of maureen dowd who

ridiculed him all the time in columns that dripped with class envy on her part. but nonetheless, he was -- and, you know, he got along with us. he was okay with us, and he knew us all. he'd been around washington forever. he knew all of us who were covering him, knew us by name, called us by name and so forth. and, you know, he basically, he could handle it. dana: this is franklin graham. he was talking this morning about that moment, that big decision that was decisive in his presidency. watch this. >> that was a very difficult night for him, and i remember he called my father and asked that my father would be with him that night at the white house. because the president knew the cost in american lives, in iraqi lives. he knew what war was about. so the two of them stayed up all night together, and they had not just with one prayer, but they had a number of prayers together as that war began. dana: of course, that was the

first gulf war, brit. what do you remember from that time and learning from -- observing president bush 41? >> oh, i remember that so vividly. you may recall, dana, that in the runup to that war as the troops, the coalition troops were massing in saudi arabia for what would later become the invasion to run saddam hussein's army out of kuwait just north of saudi arabia, he went over for thanksgiving. and i remember his attitude. he went out on a ship and ate a meal with the sailors, and then he went up to a remote camp in the saudi desert and ate a meal with the soldiers there. and you could -- and i must -- he was very emotional that day. and all of us who were covering him knew him well enough to know that he would not have felt that way if this was some big bluff. but there were a lot of journalists back in washington who thought he was bluffing and that nothing would ever come of it. we all knew otherwise because we could see that it was painful to him to see these soldiers, not knowing what the outcome of the

war would be, not knowing how many would come back. as it turned out, you know, the american casualties were very few, indeed, and the military action was a complete walkover. but i remember him well there, and he was very emotional that day -- dana: of course. because he knew -- >> he felt the cost. dana: and he knew personally what could happen. >> yeah. and, of course, he -- dana: go ahead. >> go ahead. sorry, dana. [inaudible conversations] [laughter] dana: he was part of the greatest generation, and it feels like in all of these remembrances that most of them are nearly all gone now. and how does that change things for america? >> well, i think it changes quite a lot, and, you know, i was over at the bush library in 2016 for the 75th anniversary observances of pearl harbor at the bush library and at college station, and it was quite an emotional scene for him. and you could tell by the look -- looking in the faces of

the poem who participated in that -- the people who participated in that war, and you could tell that this was a generation that was fading, and he was the leader of it. dana: brit, i'm sorry to have to wrap, because i could talk to you all day. thanks so much. >> thanks, dana. dana: we're taking a look at the time president george h.w. bush gave us a tour of his presidential library and museum. you'll see that next. to sign up for new insurance instead? for drivers with accident forgiveness, liberty mutual won't raise their rates because of their first accident. ♪ liberty. liberty. liberty. liberty. ♪ for each job exxonmobil creates, many more are created in the community. because energy touches so many industries, it supports 10 million u.s. jobs. let's do the thing that you do. let's clear a path. let's put down roots.

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dana: welcome back. we want to show you now part two of george h.w. bush and tony snow from 1999. this time the pair is joined by first lady barbara bush for a tour of his presidential library. this is special. take a look. >> i think robin made every person more valuable to us. and i refuse to make her a negative. i want her life to be a positive. and she has been. wonderful gifts given this her name, and george and i to a lot for -- do a lot for cancer in her name, and i think the world's better off because of

robin. >> you can see the bottom of that airplane, because that was -- it was easy to land. you pull the tail down, and it just skids in with the bomb bay closed. >> i never thought the thing would be that big. >> and it's enormous. and a tiny aircraft carrier compared to what we have now. >> it ran with the fast carrier. it wasn't a jeep carrier, they called it, it was a fast carrier task force carrier. and there's the submarine that rescued us. rescued me. >> you know what? i want to look at this baseball glove for a minute. this is from yale. >> that's the one i used. >> also you shook hands with babe ruth, you have the picture -- there we go. >> he was dying of cancer. i was the captain of the yale team. he came to present his papers, so this must have been his papers, to the yale library. >> at one point you said you'd rather watch heehaw than a baseball game. [laughter] >> when did he say that? >> i'm a country music -- you know, tony, it's something

silly, but a lot of people said, well, he came up, grew up in the east and yale and all, so he's posing as a country music guy. he says he likes pork rinds. i mean, there again i couldn't get through the myth -- >> do you know that pork rinds are considered healthier than potato chips or popcorn? >> let's start having them again. [laughter] >> they are. i just heard that the other day. i knew you'd be thrilled. >> you learn new thing it is. the cia, you were there for a year. >> there for one fascinating year, and i loved it. i absolutely loved it. >> obviously, they loved him. they just named the center after him. >> i know. >> you look like mortimer shnerd there. [laughter] >> nobody, fortunate, will remember who that is. >> i'm not sure i remember. >> last year it was the 25th year i had that boat. and we decided to send it down here. gosh, we had fun in that boat. >> you know what he told me, you know, the library is insisting

that i give them the boat. [laughter] dana: you see that easy way that george h.w. bush and barbara bush had with each other. it's really quite a beautiful thing. and there's other news. we'll have a live report on that major earthquake hitting alaska. stick with us. ♪ ♪ the best simple salad ever? heart-healthy california walnuts. the best simple pasta ever? california walnuts. the best simple dinner ever? great tasting, heart-healthy california walnuts. so simple, so good. get the recipes at walnuts.org.

♪ ♪ dana: hundreds of aftershocks shaking alaska after a powerful magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked the state centered about 7 miles north of anchorage. jonathan hunt is live there in anchorage. what's it like this afternoon, jonathan? is. >> reporter: well, frankly, if you landed at a arrange ramming airport today was knowledge of yesterday's events, you'd be hard pressed to realize there had even been an earth quack, which is a pretty extraordinary testament to the strength of the spirit of the alaskan people in the wake of what is a big earthquake at 7.0. itit's also a testament to the strength of the building codes that were put in place in the city you see behind me there after the huge 1964 earthquake. the worst damage yesterday was to certain sections of highway, and we saw some dramatic pictures of cars perched precariously on collapsed sections of the highway. good news is none of those people in those vehicles were ininjured. other than that, damage was some

collapsed ceilings, some broken windows, cracked buildings, supermarket shelves emptied of their goods. but that is not to say it wasn't terrifying for those caught up in it. listen here. >> felt the rumble come through. we knew exactly what it was. we ran outside, you know, the truck's shaking back and forth. >> first time, yeah, everything was shaking. it felt like the ground was doing a dance. and so chad said let's get out of here, so we ran outside. as i was running outside,ic see the truck moving -- i could see the truck moving. and then we got in the street, and you're doing this number. so, yeah, it was an atrend lin rush. >> reporter: the remarkably good news, dana, no deaths reported and only a couple of injuries. dana? dana: jonathan hunt, thank you so much for that report. and in a moment, i will share the story behind this photo here, alluded to it

earlier. a very special moment, of course, i cherish. why does 41 have ahold of my arm as the flag at the white house flies at half a staff tonight. we'll be right back. ♪ ♪ [grunting noise] i'll take that. 30 grams of protein and 1 gram of sugar. ensure max protein. in two great flavors. ensure max protein. but some give their clients cookie cutter portfolios. fisher investments tailors portfolios to your goals and needs. some only call when they have something to sell. fisher calls regularly so you stay informed. and while some advisors are happy to earn commissions whether you do well or not. fisher investments fees are structured so we do better when you do better. maybe that's why most of our clients come from other money managers. fisher investments. clearly better money management.

. >> in the few minutes i have left i mentioned a photo of myself with both presidents bush inside the white house convincing them to do an interview they were hesitant

at first but i convinced them to do it and at the end they wanted to pose for a picture with someone else trying to get them out of the way and 41 grabbed to be and pulled me back into the picture. i love it. the life of president george herbert walker bush. here is jon scott. jon: d4. ♪ jon: good evening welcome to the fox report. america in morning tonight after the death of former president george h.w. bush. ninety-four years old. president bush's legacy etched in the fabric of america as of the youngest navy pilots in world war ii with decades of public service as a congressman to un ambassador director of vice president in 1989 the 41st president of the united states and the father of her president and the son of a