Longtime Fox News host Dana Perino is spilling the beans on how she was kicked out of the White House Oval Office.
The former host of “The Daily Briefing” may be a regular face featured on Fox News, but it wasn’t too long ago that she worked in Washington, D.C.
In fact, she worked for former President George Bush as his White House Press Secretary.
Apparently, Perino hadn’t made such a good impression.
“I don’t even think President Bush knew my name at the time,” Perino told Page Six. “I’m not sure.” She told the story amid press for her latest book, titled “Everything Will Be Okay.”
Perino said she had been instructed to oversee an interview between Bush and a reporter (who went unnamed).
But the situation turned sour over a miscommunication. Bush had refused to do the interview, and kicked everyone out of the Oval Office immediately.
Bush told Perino she could see her own way out.
No introduction.
No handshake.
No nothing.
She explained to Page Six that she broke down in tears and rushed to call her husband.
Kicked out “of the Oval Office on my first time!” she said. “I called Peter, and I was tearful. He said, ‘Well just think, for the rest of your life, you can say I’ve been kicked out of better places than this.’”
In addition to the release of her book Perino has been involved in the ongoing Fox News staff shakeup that has seen her shift from her longtime “The Daily Briefing” program, to her new position as co-host of “America’s Newsroom.”
And though her initial encounter with Bush may not have started on the best terms, she said the two have since developed a remarkable relationship.
“George Bush loves career counseling,” Perino added.
“I think it just comes naturally to him. He has a natural desire to help people figure out what is their next step. How can they become better managers and better leaders?”
The Horn editorial team