James Baker: Bush's last day was 'very gentle'

"That last day was really a very, very gentle and peaceful passing for him," Baker said Sunday on CNN's "State of the Union."

In the interview, Baker shared an anecdote from the morning of Bush's death.

"When I showed up at 7 o'clock in the morning, one of the aides who assisted him physically said, 'Mr. President, Secretary Baker is here,'" he said. "And he opened both eyes, he looked at me, he said. 'Hey, Bake, where are we going today?' And I said, 'Well, jefe,' I said, 'We're going to heaven.' He said, 'Good, that's where I want to go.' Little did I know or did he know, of course, that by 10 o'clock that night he'd be in heaven."

Baker said through years of illness and the death earlier this year of his wife, Barbara Bush, the former president kept up his drive and will to live, joking "about wanting to live to be 100." But the former top aide and longtime friend of Bush's said that, nevertheless, his passing was calm.

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