“America Is Under Attack” Inside President Bush’s 9/11 Morning

What was it like inside the room when President George W. Bush learned that America was under attack on September 11, 2001? In this firsthand account, we hear what happened as President Bush arrived at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida, on the morning of 9/11. While preparing to speak to a classroom of students about education, Bush was informed that a plane had crashed into the World Trade Center. Moments later, after the second plane struck, White House Chief of Staff Andy Card told the president, “America is under attack.” The account describes the confusion and uncertainty inside the school, the Secret Service's concerns about the president's safety, Bush's decision to address the nation, and the eventual return to Washington, D.C. The conversation also looks at how the September 11 attacks changed American security, including the creation of the Transportation Security Administration and Department of Homeland Security, as well as the continuing challenges posed by terrorism, cybersecurity and artificial intelligence. The White House archive and 9/11 Commission records confirm that Bush was at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota when he was informed of the attacks and that he addressed the nation later that evening. Brought to you by The Center Square.