Ellen DeGeneres defends sitting with former President George W. Bush at football game
Talk show host Ellen DeGeneres is facing backlash after being spotted with former President George W. Bush at a NFL game. Fox New contributor Lawrence Jones reacts.
Former President George W. Bush said he "appreciated" friend Ellen DeGeneres' comments about respect after the comedian took a stand against the Twitter mob shaming her for sitting next to Bush at a football game.
Bush's spokesman, Freddy Ford, told Fox News exclusively on Tuesday: "President and Mrs. Bush really enjoyed being with Ellen and Portia (de Rossi) and appreciated Ellen’s comments about respecting one another. They respect her. "
The former president's comments come after DeGeneres was photographed sitting next to him at a Dallas Cowboys-Green Bay Packers game on Sunday
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The backlash over the pictures caused DeGeneres to defend her "friend" on her talk show on Monday.
"When we were invited, I was aware that I was going to be surrounded with people from very different views and beliefs. And I'm not talking about politics... I was rooting for the Packers," DeGeneres joked. "So I had to hide my cheese hat in Portia's purse."
She noted that some "people were upset."
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"They thought, why is a gay Hollywood liberal sitting next to a conservative Republican president?... A lot of people were mad. And they did what people do when they're mad... they tweet," she told her audience.
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"Here's the thing: I'm friends with George Bush. In fact, I'm friends with a lot of people who don't share the same beliefs that I have," DeGeneres continued. "We're all different and I think that we've forgotten that that's okay that we're all different... but just because I don't agree with someone on everything doesn't mean that I'm not going to be friends with them."
Former President George W. Bush and wife Laura, left, and Ellen DeGeneres, right, attended a Green Bay Packers and Dallas Cowboys in Arlington, Texas, Sunday, Oct. 6, 2019. (AP)
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"When I say, 'Be kind to one another,' I don't mean only the people that think the same way that you do. I mean be kind to everyone. Doesn't matter."
DeGeneres concluded by thanking Charlotte and Jerry Jones -- Jerry Jones is the owner of the Dallas Cowboys and Charlotte is his daughter --as well as George and Laura Bush for a "Sunday afternoon that was so fun," but added that they owe her "six dollars for the nachos."
Fox News' Joseph Wulfsohn contributed to this report.
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