When the elevator malfunctioned in Liberia

From 2001 to 2003, President Bush engaged with African leaders, meeting with twenty-five heads of state. However, his 2008 trip to Liberia with Condoleezza Rice was particularly eventful. Typically, one would expect a US presidential visit to proceed according to plan, as presidents are not generally expected to deviate from a script during meetings with foreign leaders.

Nevertheless, Rice recalls in her memoirs, No Higher Honor, that the elevators were out of order upon their arrival at the Liberian president’s office. Since the elevator was inoperable, Bush and President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf had to ascend five flights of stairs. An unexpected challenge arose: Sirleaf had less endurance than Bush and struggled to keep pace. It was up to Bush to devise a solution. He cleverly feigned needing a break at each landing, allowing her to rest without revealing any difficulty. How thoughtful! How clever! What a truly American story!