Jenna Bush Hager had the privilege of interviewing her own father, former president George W. Bush, ahead of USA’s 250th birthday, and he had a lot to say about healing the country. This year marks 250 years since the United States declared its independence from British rule. And while our founding fathers would have hoped we’d be a nation of peace and love, we’re not. Political tensions are high, and the economy is low. But our 43rd president believes we can turn ourselves around. During an interview on April 20th, Jenna and George discussed how the political divide is tearing friendships, families, and society apart. While Jenna is worried about the future, her father believes the country is making a turn for the better. View this post on Instagram A post shared by TODAY (@todayshow) “One of the things about the 250th is it gives us the chance to focus on the common good and the wonders of this country,” he said. “The history of this country. I am not concerned about the long-term health of our country. Because I’ve studied enough history to know that we’ve been through periods of intense anger and intense rivalry of ideas. But the beauty of democracy, Jen, is that it’s self-correcting.” George W. Bush Believes America Can ‘Heal Itself’ George W. Bush, 79, was born just after WWII ended. He lived through the Korean War, Vietnam, the Civil Rights Era, the Gulf War, Watergate, 9/11, and more. He’s watched the country fall apart and reunite dozens of times, so he doesn’t think our current issues will break us. “I’m going to encourage citizens to participate in the process, and if you don’t like what’s going on, vote,” he added. “And that’s how America heals itself.”  Watch Jenna Bush Hager and George W. Bush’s full interview and Jenna’s interview of Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden here. This story’s featured image is by Perry Knotts/Getty Images.