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George H.W. Bush to 5-year-old: Sorry kid, I still hate broccoli

Former U.S. President George Bush visits a tent camp for earthquake survivors on the outskirts of Islamabad on January 17, 2006 in Pakistan. Bush, 81, came as a special envoy for the United Nations to speak with survivors of the October 8 earthquake that killed more than 75,000 people and left another 3.5 million homeless. He had been scheduled to visit the earthquake zone, but helicopter flights to the area were grounded because of bad weather. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Former U.S. President George Bush visits a tent camp for earthquake survivors on the outskirts of Islamabad on January 17, 2006 in Pakistan. Bush, 81, came as a special envoy for the United Nations to speak with survivors of the October 8 earthquake that killed more than 75,000 people and left another 3.5 million homeless. He had been scheduled to visit the earthquake zone, but helicopter flights to the area were grounded because of bad weather. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
By Cox Media Group National Content Desk
June 27, 2016

A 5-year-old boy with a love for broccoli attempted – and failed -- to persuade former President George H.W. Bush to give broccoli another chance.

Bush, 92, famously banned broccoli from Air Force One during his presidency.

"I do not like broccoli," Bush said in 1990, according to a report from The New York Times. "I haven't liked it since I was a little kid and my mother made me eat it. And I'm president of the United States, and I'm not going to eat any more broccoli!"

In a letter shared Saturday by the 41st president, 5-year-old Cooper shared his disappointment in Bush's choice of prohibited vegetables.

"My (grandma) told me that you do not like broccoli and never want it served," he wrote. "Mr. President, broccoli is really good for you. I wish you liked broccoli like I do."

Bush, however, remained unconvinced.

"(I'm) proud of young Cooper's interest in healthy eating," he wrote on Twitter. "His declared love of broccoli is genuine, if also unpersuasive."

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