Jenna Bush Hager Sends Heated Message About Banning Books
Today co-anchor Jenna Bush Hager just sent a heated message about banning certain children's books.
On the Wednesday, May 20 episode of Today With Jenna & Sheinelle, the former first daughter, 44, didn't hold back with her opinion when it comes to children's books in particular.
"There are people that are trusted adults in the library that can decipher that, and parents as well," Bush Hager argued on Today. "We have to take responsibility for our kids at home. But let's not get rid of Toni Morrison's books for the kids that do need to read that. That should be reading that."
To that, her co-host, Sheinelle Jones, declared, "This is good. Preach!"
"Whew! And, I might just go ahead and say that I think it's in the 90s-percent of the complaints that are coming in about these books are not coming from parents. They're coming from these organizations. And I'm not into it. I don't think so, honey!"
Bush Hager's comments were a reference to her appearance on the May 20 Las Culturistas podcast episode. She tackled the topic of book bans with hosts Bowen Yang and Matt Rogers.
"Why are we banning all these books, y'all?" she said during the "I Don't Think So Honey" segment of the show.
"Including the Wicked book," Yang pointed out.
"Why are we banning the Wicked book. Why are we banning To Kill a Mockingbird?" she wondered, before sharing a personal anecdote.
"I posted a picture-I don't think so honey-of my daughter reading The Summer I Turned Pretty. And you know what people said to me? They shamed me. I don't think so, honey!"
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Bush Hager continued, "Don't we know that kids can find all, everything, on YouTube.com? We can give our kids iPads, we can give our kids phones, but you're taking Beloved by Toni Morrison out of our libraries? Guess whose job it is to make sure it's appropriate for your children? The librarians! They're trained."
To wrap up her thoughts on the topic, the mom of three added, "Now, listen, I know I'm biased because my mother was a librarian. She had a cat named Dewey, named after the Dewey Decimal System. I do think we should name cats after things that belong in the library. But I don't think we should be taking these books out. Leave it up to the librarians."
Bush Hager concluded, "I want my kid to read. Wanna know why? Books start conversations. Know what we're not having enough of in this country? Conversations! I. Don't. Think. So. Honey."
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This story was originally published May 20, 2026 at 6:21 PM.