"Don’t Tell the President" with Jean Becker and Tom Collamore

Join us on Wednesday, April 8 at 6 p.m. for a conversation and book signing with Jean Becker, renowned author and former chief of staff for President George H.W. Bush, and Tom Collamore, current senior advisor to the George and Barbara Bush Foundation and former chief communications officer at the U.S. Chamber of Commerce. Together, they will discuss their new book “Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst, and Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance.”

In “Don’t Tell the President,” Becker and Collamore, two former President George H.W. Bush staffers, collect stories of the wackiest, scariest, and heartfelt stories over the last 60 years of presidential events. The book gives a new insight into the inner workings of these high-stakes events and how many close calls are seamlessly hidden away. From the Rose Garden to Air Force One, Lyndon Johnson to Barack Obama, a few first ladies, vice presidents, and wannabes, this book peels the curtain back and shows us the stories of the people behind the campaigns.

Ups, downs, and all arounds are included in Becker and Collamore’s collection of these wonderful stories from presidential advance.

The program will be available on the Clinton Center’s YouTube channel the following day.

BOOK: Becker and Collamore will sign copies of “Don’t Tell the President” following the program. Click here to purchase your copy from the Clinton Museum Store, available for pick up at the event or post-event delivery.

Clinton Presidential Center Presents is a partnership between the Clinton Foundation, Clinton School of Public Service at the University of Arkansas, and Clinton Presidential Library.

About the Speakers:

Jean Becker served as chief of staff for President George H.W. Bush for nearly twenty-five years. She’s the editor of Pearls of Wisdom by Barbara Bush; author of the New York Times bestseller, The Man I Knew: The Amazing Story of George H.W. Bush’s Post Presidency; and Character Matter … And Other Life Lessons from George H.W. Bush. Her current book, Don’t Tell the President: The Best, Worst, and Mostly Untold Stories from Presidential Advance, written with Tom Collamore, came out February 3rd, 2026. Prior to her post as chief of staff, Jean served as deputy press secretary to First Lady Barbara Bush and was a newspaper reporter for 10 years, including a four-year stint at USA TODAY.

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