Former president George W. Bush was cornered by the celebrity gossip site TMZ Thursday night in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C., laughing off a question about Kanye West running for president and cracking up onlookers as he signed autographs.
Bush, chewing gum all the while, signed multiple objects for fans outside of a fundraiser for his brother Jeb Bush, one of whom told him "God bless you" for helping him find work on Capitol Hill, and another who apparently handed him dozens of photos.
"You've got 25 pictures in here!" Bush said.
"No, I just got one, sir," the man says.
"No, you've got thousands," Bush joked.
The TMZ cameraman then asked Bush what he thought of rap artist Kanye West's announced bid for the presidency. West famously said Bush "doesn't care about black people" in 2005 during the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina, a remark for which West later apologized.
Bush laughed at the idea and ignored a question about whether West had a "chance" in 2020. As Bush got into his car, he called back at the autograph seekers, "Don't put that on eBay!"
MSNBC's Morning Joe panel roared with laughter after it finished airing the segment.
"Now you may not have loved him as a president, but that's a very different style than his brother, generally speaking," co-host Willie Geist said.
Host Joe Scarborough brought up the memorable moment from one of the 2000 presidential debates, when Bush coolly nodded his head at an aggressive Al Gore who had walked into his space on the town hall floor. Jeb Bush, meanwhile, has received criticism for his style, particularly after a poorly received debate performance Wednesday night on CNBC.