Not even Jenna Bush, daughter of President George W. Bush, the
nation’s icon of youth and purity, can resist a drink. In fact, last
Friday, Jenna was cited for alcohol possession by a minor at a bar in downtown
Austin, an area popular with college students, police said. Her citation
occurred just hours before her father’s arrival to speak at the dedication
of the new Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum.
Plainclothes officers who were checking for anyone under 21 in
possession of alcohol cited the 19-year-old at about 1:30 a.m. at the bar,
Cheers, located in the 6th Street area of downtown, said Assistant Police
Chief Michael McDonald. Jenna is a freshman at the University of
Texas at Austin.
“When the officers initially entered the club they cited four
minors for being in possession of alcohol,” he said. “While they
were still in the club, they noticed two girls that also appeared to be
under age drinking. When they approached the two, they determined
that they were in fact under 21 years of age and they cited both girls
for minor in possession. One of the girls was Jenna Bush, 19 years
of age.” Both girls were “very cooperative,” said McDonald, if you
know what I mean. Secret Service agents did not interfere and also
cooperated with officers, again, if you know what I mean.
The agents were outside the door, “so they were not aware she
was consuming alcohol,” said McDonald. A field release citation is
a non-custodial arrest and usually the person being cited is not taken
into custody unless they are so intoxicated that they are a threat to themselves
or others, he said.
“She wasn’t treated differently than anyone else,” McDonald said.
The citation carries a $200 fine or community service, he said.
The White House had no comment on the incident.
A “friend” of Jenna’s was reportedly picked up at the county
jail in Fort Worth by her Secret Service detail last February. He
had been jailed after an arrest on a public intoxication charge, the Forth
Worth Star-Telegram reported. The 18-year-old student of Texan Christian
University was in jail for several hours after his arrest at a party when
he supposedly called for Jenna Bush and her bodyguards, Sheriff Dee Anderson
told the newspaper.
Jenna’s twin sister is a freshman at Yale University. She’s
working on it.