Former President George W. Bush took the ice bucket challenge, and is now challenging his predecessor in the White House to follow in his footsteps.
In a video posted on his Facebook page, Bush takes a soaking from his wife, former First Lady Laura Bush, and then nominates former President Bill Clinton to take the challenge.
The challenge is raging this summer on social media, as people get doused with a bucket of ice water in order to bring awareness — and raise money — to combat amyotropic lateral sclerosis, better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease.
“Thanks to Jenna Bush Hager, Rory McIlroy, Woody Johnson, and Coach Jim Harbaugh for the #IceBucketChallenge,” wrote Bush on his Facebook page.
In the video, Bush said “to you all who’ve challenged me, I do not think it’s presidential for me to be splashed with ice water, so I’m simply going to write you a check.”
Moments later, after she pours a bucket of ice water on top of her husband, the former first lady said “that check is from me. I don’t want to ruin my hairstyle.”
Bush then called on Clinton to get wet, saying, “Now it’s my privilege to challenge my friend Bill Clinton to the ALS challenge. Yesterday was Bill’s birthday and my gift to Bill is a bucket of cold water.”
Bush’s successor in the White House so far has decided to stay dry. President Barack Obama has declined to take the challenge, but instead has made a donation to an ALS charity, according to the White House.
Bush’s chilly dunking was arranged, in part, by his daughter Jenna Bush Hager, an NBC “Today” show correspondent.
