Former President George W. Bush was one of the featured speakers at Saturday’s opening of the Smithsonian Institute’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC, but it’s not his speech that’s getting all the attention. A picture taken by former White House photographer David Hume Kennerly, and featuring a content-looking Dubya being embraced by First Lady Michelle Obama, has bee getting quite a reaction on social media: 
 
 1st Lady Michelle Obama hugs Pres. George W.Bush at opening of @NMAAHC I was there for 1 of museums chief sponsors @BankofAmerica pic.twitter.com/XWw41G5nHO — kennerly (@kennerly) September 24, 2016 
 
 The picture is getting a ton of reaction online: 
 
 Given the times, people should appreciate how much respect 43 has for 44 and NOT used his pulpit to criticize incessantly 🇺🇸 https://t.co/DStD7zj7IT — Luke Russert (@LukeRussert) September 24, 2016 
 
 I love this picture. This may be sappy but this says America to me. pic.twitter.com/7AFqYZLMRF — Guy Cecil (@guycecil) September 24, 2016 
 
 But there’s always one… 
 
 @kennerly @rubycramer @NMAAHC Status Quo embracing each other.. hoping Hillary will keep the Special interest control $$ flowing to gov — #WithTeamDeplorables (@m4zdaman) September 24, 2016 
 
 President Bush signed the legislation that created the National Museum of African American History and Culture. 
 
 Have a tip we should know? tips@mediaite.com ||||| George W. Bush has been making the news rounds this week to promote his new art book, “Portraits of Courage: A Commander in Chief’s Tribute to America’s Warriors,” a collection of the former president’s paintings of veterans. On March 1, Bush opened up to PEOPLE about his affection for a close friend — former First Lady Michelle Obama. 
 
 Though Bush and Obama may seem like unlikely friends, Bush expressed nothing but admiration for the former first lady. “She kind of likes my sense of humor. Anybody who likes my sense of humor, I immediately like,” Bush said. 
 
 
 
 
 
 Bush, 70 and Obama, 53 were frequently seated next to each other at official events such as Nancy Reagan’s memorial service, an interfaith memorial service for Texas police officers last year, and the dedication ceremony to mark the opening of the Smithsonian’s National Museum of African American History and Culture in Washington, DC. 
 
 RELATED: People can’t get over George Bush using a poncho during Trump’s inauguration 
 
 The two quickly went viral online after photos of them smiling and hugging at various events made the rounds on social media. 
 
 Here they are sharing a moment at the memorial service to honor the five police officers who were killed and the many who were injured during a shooting in downtown Dallas on July 12, 2016. 
 
 And here they are hugging in a moment of genuine friendship during the dedication ceremony for the Smithsonian Museum of African American History and Culture on the National Mall in Washington DC on September 24, 2016. 
 
 “I can’t remember where else I’ve sat next to her, but I probably have a few wise cracks and she seemed to like it okay,” Bush added. “I needle her a little bit and around her, I’m fairly lighthearted. [The Obamas] are around serious people all the time and we just took to each other.” 
 
 Bush also added that he would be open to working with Barack and Michelle Obama to help military personnel, military families, and veterans through various organizations and causes. Bush has dedicated much of his time and effort post-presidency to helping wounded warriors, and though only time will tell if Barack Obama chooses to also get involved in that important cause, the two former presidents could end up working together toward a common goal. 
 
 “I think they’re interested in, also, doing things with our troops of course now in their after-life, as I call it,” Laura Bush said about the Obamas. 
 
 Bush added, “It’s going to take them a while to find their footing and figure out how they’re going to do what they want to do. But if there’s a way to be symbiotic, we’ll do so.” ||||| Story highlights George W. Bush and Michelle Obama have been seen becoming increasingly chummy 
 
 On Saturday , Obama reached over and grabbed Bush into a hug 
 
 (CNN) Saturday's dedication of the National Museum of African-American History and Culture brought together the president who signed into law the funding for the museum and the president who was in office during its completion. 
 
 But the gathering of the 43rd and 44th first couples also saw the reuniting of two unlikely friends. 
 
 Over the past eight years, former President George W. Bush and First Lady Michelle Obama have been seen becoming increasingly chummy. At public events, the two can often be found sitting next to each other, sharing a laugh or lending a hand to hold. 
 
 Saturday's ceremony was no exception. During the event, Obama reached over and grabbed Bush into a hug as their spouses clapped and looked on. 
 
 Zach Gibson/AFP/Getty Images 
 
 Bush asked his successor for a little help taking a selfie. 
 
 Here's the moment President Bush asked President Obama for a little help taking a selfie https://t.co/htnaP3apwd https://t.co/lAO972CR3A — CNN (@CNN) September 24, 2016 
 
 Read More ||||| It was inevitable. 
 
 Redditors used former chief White House photographer David Hume Kennerly’s heartwarming picture of the first lady embracing her husband’s predecessor to engage in a good old photo-editing battle. 
 
 1st Lady Michelle Obama hugs Pres. George W.Bush at opening of @NMAAHC I was there for 1 of museums chief sponsors @BankofAmerica pic.twitter.com/XWw41G5nHO — kennerly (@kennerly) September 24, 2016 
 
 They amusingly reimagined Bush as a sleeping baby and an actual bush ― while presidential candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton also made an appearance. ||||| A striking image from this weekend offers some symbolic hope for Americans troubled by the country’s stark division along ethnic, political, economic, and gender lines. 
 
 At the opening of the National Museum of African American History and Culture yesterday, photographers including Pulitzer-winner David Hume Kennerly captured a warm embrace between first lady Michelle Obama and former president George W. Bush, who first signed the bill to build the museum in 2003. 
 
 The photo clearly resonates with a country grappling with its own history of racism and slavery, one that quite literally built the White House we know today. And as the US anticipates a combative first presidential debate tomorrow (Sep. 26), it’s all the more striking to see leaders reaching across the proverbial aisle in a moment of genuine warmth.
– A reunion of "two unlikely friends" happened Saturday during the dedication of DC's National Museum of African American History and Culture, per CNN—and the photo of Michelle Obama's embrace of George W. Bush has now become a "powerful image … for the ages," notes Quartz. CNN notes that the two have become "increasingly chummy" throughout President Obama's tenure, often sitting next to each other at events and even holding hands at a July memorial service for the slain Dallas police officers. Reaction to the photo taken by former White House photographer David Hume Kennerly has made its way onto social media, per Mediaite, with one commenter noting: "This is what America is! we disagree but we don't hate!" Of course, others had to show off their Photoshop skills and make a meme out of the photo, which has now produced variations that include Obama hugging soon-to-be-single Brad Pitt, Donald Trump, and an actual bush; the Huffington Post has compiled its favorites.