The Sneaky Signs Jenna Bush Hager's Today Co-Hosts Are Over Her

Jenna Bush Hager had a wild past before joining the "Today" family in 2009. As one of former President George W. Bush's two daughters, Jenna's youthful mischief — which included once slipping away from her Secret Service agents to spend time with her boyfriend — was widely covered in the press for years. Today, Hager, who hosts the fourth hour of "Today" with Sheinelle Jones, holds a respected position at the morning show, but that doesn't mean she doesn't still attract drama. One of the most enduring rumors about Hager suggests that she and her "Today" colleagues have a rather tense relationship when the cameras are down.

One of the most viral examples involves Hager and "Today" star Samantha Guthrie. Although the pair are friends in real life, they had a rather prickly exchange when Hager complained about Guthrie not inviting her to her wedding in 2014. However, their discontent reportedly went deeper than the awkward moment when Guthrie quipped, "We can't do this again" (via Substack). 

According to entertainment journalist Rob Shuter, Guthrie was "furious" that Hager brought up the incident on air. "She's begged Jenna to drop it, but Jenna keeps poking," shared one of Shuter's sources in August 2025 (via Substack). "It's gone from playful to mean." They continued, "Jenna pushing her buttons is creating serious tension." 

Unfortunately for Hager, this isn't the only suggestion that she and her "Today" co-hosts aren't as chummy as they seem.

Hoda Kotb has said that the need to care for her daughter, who has Type 1 diabetes, was a major catalyst for leaving "Today with Hoda & Jenna," which she hosted with Jenna Bush Hager. However, gossip blogs have suggested that Hager, who cried after Kotb's last episode in 2025, actually orchestrated Kotb's messy exit behind the scenes.

According to a Radar source, Kotb let go of the role because of cliquey behavior from Hager and Savannah Guthrie. They also alleged that Hager, who hadn't yet tapped Sheinelle Jones for "Today with Jenna & Sheinelle," was nervous that "Today" execs would get rid of her for a more famous star like Scarlett Johansson to secure stronger ratings.

Of course, gossip from anonymous sources should be taken with a grain of salt, but it hasn't helped the rumors that Hager doesn't get along well with her colleagues. Unsurprisingly, fans have also speculated endlessly about this topic. On Reddit, for example, one fan pointed out the awkward energy between Hager and Carson Daly, who contributes to "Today" as a feature anchor. In a broader discussion about how they felt Daly wasn't happy with the job, one user wrote, "I knew Jenna got on his nerves but the body language." A second seemed to agree, writing, "Oh I know he like never wants to engage with her and its quite funny."