This is a list of presidential trips made by George W. Bush during 2008 and January 2009, the eighth and final year of his presidency as the 43rd president of the United States.Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush, 2008–2009, Book I, January 1 to June 30, 2008. United States Government Printing Office, 2012. Public Papers of the Presidents of the United States: George W. Bush, 2008–2009, Book II, July 1, 2008 to January 20, 2009. United States Government Printing Office, 2012. International trips are highlighted in blue.
This list excludes trips made within Washington, D.C., the U.S. federal capital in which the White House, the official residence and principal workplace of the president, is located. It also excludes the capital's immediate surroundings in Maryland and Virginia, such as Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland, where the president typically boards Air Force One for all trips outside the area. Also excluded are trips to Camp David, the country residence of the president, and to the Bush family's Prairie Chapel Ranch near Crawford.
January 2008 State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsIllinoisChicagoJanuary 7Spoke about education policy at Horace Greeley Elementary School. Endorsed the Chicago bid for the 2016 Summer Olympics at the Union League Club of Chicago. Israel Tel Aviv,Jerusalem January 9–11 Met with Prime Minister Ehud Olmert and President Shimon Peres. Visited Yad Vashem. Palestinian National Authority Ramallah,Bethlehem January 10 Met with President Mahmoud Abbas. Visited the Church of the Nativity. Kuwait Kuwait City,Camp Arifjan January 11–12 Attended Roundtable on Democracy and Development. Met with Gen. David Petraeus and United States Ambassador to Iraq Ryan Crocker. Addressed U.S. military personnel. Bahrain Manama January 12–13 Met with King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa. Addressed U.S. military personnel, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country. United Arab Emirates Abu Dhabi, Dubai January 13–14 Met with President Khalifa bin Zayed Al Nahyan and Prime Minister Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country. Saudi Arabia Riyadh,Al-Janadriyah January 14–16 Met with King Abdullah. Egypt Sharm el-Sheikh January 16 Met with President Hosni Mubarak.MarylandFrederickJanuary 18Toured a local business, Wright Manufacturing, Inc.West VirginiaWhite Sulphur SpringsJanuary 25Spoke at a Congress of Tomorrow luncheon at The Greenbrier.MarylandBaltimoreJanuary 29Toured the Episcopal Community Services of Maryland's Jericho Program, an organization supported by the White House Office of Faith-Based and Community Initiatives.CaliforniaTorranceJanuary 30Toured Robinson Helicopter Company.NevadaLas VegasJanuary 31Spoke about international collaboration against terrorism at the Emerald at Queensridge.
February State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsMissouriKansas CityFebruary 1Designated February as American Heart Month in an event at the InterContinental Kansas City Hotel. Toured a Hallmark Cards manufacturing facility.TennesseeLafayetteFebruary 8Toured damage from the 2008 Super Tuesday tornado outbreak that had occurred on February 5. Benin Porto Novo February 16 Met with President Yayi Boni, becoming the first U.S. president to visit the country. Tanzania Dar es Salaam,Arusha February 16–19 Met with President Jakaya Kikwete. Signed Millenimum Challenge agreement. Rwanda Kigali February 19 Met with President Paul Kagame. Dedicated new U.S. Embassy. Ghana Accra February 19–21 Met with President John Kufuor. Liberia Monrovia February 21 Met with President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf.
March State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsTennesseeNashvilleMarch 11Attended the National Religious Broadcasters Convention.FloridaJacksonvilleMarch 18Spoke about international trade at the Blount Island Marine Terminal.VirginiaSterlingMarch 26Toured a local business, ColorCraft of Virginia.OhioDaytonMarch 27Visited the National Museum of the United States Air Force.New JerseyFreeholdMarch 28Toured a local mortgage counseling service, Novadebt.
April State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetails Ukraine Kyiv April 1 Met with President Viktor Yushchenko and Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Romania Bucharest April 2–4 Attended the NATO Summit Meeting. Croatia Zagreb April 4–5 Met with President Stjepan Mesić. Russia Sochi April 5–6 Met with President Vladimir Putin and President-elect Dmitry Medvedev.LouisianaNew Orleans,Baton RougeApril 21–22Hosted the North American Leaders' Summit in New Orleans. Viewed the city's recovery from Hurricane Katrina. Endorsed John Kennedy for Senate election in Baton Rouge.ConnecticutHartfordApril 25Visited the local Boys & Girls Club to observe World Malaria Day.
May State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsMissouriMaryland HeightsMay 2Toured headquarters of World Wide Technology, Inc.KansasGreensburgMay 4Gave the commencement address at Greensburg High School. Israel Tel Aviv,Jerusalem,Masada May 14–16 Met with President Shimon Peres and Prime Minister Ehud Olmert. Addressed the Knesset. Attended Israel's 60th anniversary. Visited the Masada fortification site. Saudi Arabia Riyadh,al-Janadriyah May 16–17 Met with King Abdullah. Egypt Sharm el-Sheikh May 17–18 Met with President Hosni Mubarak, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Palestinian Authority president Mahmoud Abbas and Prime Minister Salam Fayyad, Afghan president Hamid Karzai and Pakistani prime minister Yousaf Raza Gillani. Addressed the World Economic Forum.ArizonaMesaMay 27Toured a local business, Silverado Cable Company.ColoradoColorado SpringsMay 28Gave the commencement address at the United States Air Force Academy.South CarolinaGreenvilleMay 31Gave the commencement address at Furman University.
June State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetails Slovenia Ljubljana June 9–10 Met with President Danilo Türk and Prime Minister Janez Janša. Attended the EU-US Summit Meeting. Germany Meseberg June 10–11 Met with Chancellor Angela Merkel. Italy Rome June 11–13 Met with President Giorgio Napolitano and Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi. Vatican City Apostolic Palace June 13 Met with Pope Benedict XVI. France Paris June 13–15 Met with President Nicolas Sarkozy. Addressed the OECD. Attended wreath-laying ceremonies at the Suresnes American Cemetery and Memorial and Mémorial de la France combattante. United Kingdom London,Belfast June 15–16 Met with Queen Elizabeth II at Windsor Castle. Met with Prime Minister Gordon Brown and Quartet Representative Tony Blair. In Belfast, met with First Minister Peter Robertson and Deputy First Minister Martin McGuinness.IowaCedar Rapids,Iowa CityJune 19Toured the aftermath of the June 2008 Midwest floods.MichiganLivoniaJune 25Attended the Max M. Fisher National Republican Leadership Award Dinner.
July State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsArkansasNorth Little RockJuly 1Toured the local Family Service Agency.VirginiaCharlottesvilleJuly 4Attended a naturalization ceremony at Monticello for Independence Day. Japan Tōyako July 6–9 Attended the 34th G8 summit. Met with Tanzanian president Kikwete, Indian prime minister Manmohan Singh, Chinese president Hu Jintao and South Korean president Lee Myung-bak.CaliforniaReddingJuly 17Toured damage from the 2008 California wildfires.TexasHoustonJuly 18Campaigned for Pete Olson for House of Representatives election.OhioEuclidJuly 29Toured a local business, Lincoln Electric Company.West VirginiaWhite Sulphur SpringsJuly 31Spoke to the West Virginia Coal Association at The Greenbrier.
August State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsAlaskaEielson Air Force BaseAugust 4Spoke to personnel during stopover en route to international trip. South Korea Seoul August 5–6 Met with President Lee Myung-bak. Addressed U.S. military personnel. Thailand Bangkok August 6–7 Met with Prime Minister Samak Sundaravej. China Beijing August 7–11 Visited Kuanjie Protestant Christian Church. Attended the opening ceremonies of the Olympic Games. Met with President Hu Jintao and Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin.FloridaOrlandoAugust 20Attended Veterans of Foreign Wars National Convention.LouisianaNew OrleansAugust 20Spoke at Jackson Barracks on the approximate third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.MississippiGulfportAugust 20Observed recovery efforts on the approximate third anniversary of Hurricane Katrina.
September State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsTexasAustin,Lackland Air Force BaseSeptember 1Visited emergency response facilities during Hurricane Gustav.LouisianaBaton RougeSeptember 3Visited emergency response facilities during Hurricane Gustav.OklahomaOklahoma CitySeptember 12Discussed health savings accounts and preparations for Hurricane Ike at Presbyterian Health Foundation.TexasHoustonSeptember 16Toured recovery efforts from Hurricane Ike at Ellington Field Joint Reserve Base.New YorkNew YorkSeptember 23–24Addressed the 63rd United Nations General Assembly.
October State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsTexasMidland,San AntonioOctober 4–6Visited George W. Bush Childhood Home. Toured a local San Antonio business, Olmos Pharmacy.OhioCincinnatiOctober 6Spoke to the Cincinnati chapter of the Federalist Society at the Hilton Cincinnati Netherland Plaza.FloridaCoral GablesOctober 10Met leaders of the local Cuban American community.MichiganAda TownshipOctober 15Toured a local business, the Schnitz Ada Grill.LouisianaAlexandriaOctober 20Visited the Central Louisiana Chamber of Commerce.
November State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsNew YorkNew YorkNovember 11–13Attended rededication of the Intrepid Museum. Addressed the 63rd United Nations General Assembly. Spoke at the Manhattan Institute for Policy Research. Peru Lima November 21–23 Attended the APEC Summit Meeting.KentuckyFort CampbellNovember 25Spoke to troops two days before Thanksgiving.
December State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsNorth CarolinaGreensboro, North CarolinaDecember 2Visited the Mentoring Children of Prisoners Initiative.PennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaDecember 6Attended the Army–Navy Game at Lincoln Financial Field. Present for the unveiling of a presidential portrait at the Union League of Philadelphia.New YorkWest PointDecember 9Addressed cadets at the United States Military Academy.TexasCollege StationDecember 12Gave the commencement address at Texas A&M University. Iraq Baghdad December 14 Met with President Jalal Talabani and Prime Minister Nouri al-Maliki. Signed Strategic Framework and Security Agreements. Visited U.S. military personnel. Afghanistan Kabul December 14–15 Met with President Hamid Karzai. Visited U.S. military personnel. United Kingdom RAF Mildenhall December 15 Stopped during return to Washington, D.C. Met with military personnel.PennsylvaniaCarlisleDecember 17Addressed cadets at the United States Army War College.
January 2009 State or countryAreas visitedDatesDetailsPennsylvaniaPhiladelphiaJanuary 8Spoke about the No Child Left Behind Act at General Philip Kearny School.VirginiaNorfolkJanuary 10Attended the commissioning ceremony of the USS George H. W. Bush.
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