What follows is a chronological account of the events that marked the presidency of George W. Bush on 9/11, surrounded by the institutions or events that are not bracketed and surrounded by the narrative, entirely grounded in the words of the participants, drawing on the Oral History Project at Virginia’s Miller Center. Its purpose is to portray how these individuals experienced the sudden, unanticipated events that unfolded in the terrifying, uncertain circumstances of that day, as well as the urgent responses of the president.
Deliver comments, recite to the kids, visit the educational institution: it was a fairly standardized routine we had performed countless times. In terms of occurrences, we were attempting to reclaim the storyline on schooling, shared White House deputy communications director Dan Bartlett.
The situation was quite ordinary. There was no mention of terrorism in the briefing. The briefings during that period mainly focused on Israeli-Palestinian matters, and the second intifada was already in progress. I entered his suite to attend the president’s morning intelligence briefing, accompanied by Mike Morell, the CIA’s daily briefer for the president.
“We’re puzzled, like most people, as we had been hit by something. He said, “The weather must be bad or there must be something up.” It’s not clear, but no, it doesn’t make any sense. Well, keep me posted.” We’re pulling up to Booker E. Emma Elementary School, the tower had been the first to be hit.”
Frances Townsend, the director of the Office of International Programs at the Department of Justice (OIPR), immediately recognized that it was an act of terrorism when the first plane hit. Given what I did at OIPR, I knew exactly what it was. If it had been a smaller plane, it would have bounced off the side of the World Trade Center building and everything would have been done to avoid putting the plane down in the Hudson. Any commercial pilot of that plane’s size would have put the plane down in the Hudson and avoided the building. There is no version of this that is explainable by professional training.
While reading to the students, President Andrew Card, the Chief of Staff of the White House, came up to me on the trip and said, “Oh my God, another plane hit the other tower. I made a conscious decision to pass on two facts and make an editorial comment because I assumed Bush, who was sitting under a boom microphone, had nothing to do with the conversation and was inviting me to do so.” The advisor to the national security, who was acting as the captain of the Navy, was also present.
Ari Fleischer was conversing with the media group. The president was engrossed in reading with the students, who were retrieving their books. His head was gently nodding, indicating his continued focus – I glanced at him once more, returned to the doorway, and then it became evident that he was deeply contemplating. I felt relieved that he did not pivot and engage in conversation with me. “America is being assaulted, a second aircraft struck the second tower,” I quietly uttered into his ear.
I didn’t want to say anything to him until he had a proper briefing. Bush nodded at me. I held it up and put it back to the press and maneuvered over it, and I wrote it back on the big letters, “Don’t say anything yet.” And I took notes on my legal pad where I usually take notes: White House press secretary, Ari Fleischer.
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“When the president returned to the staff hold, White House senior advisor Karl Rove exclaimed, ‘We’re in a state of conflict – provide me with the FBI and the vice president.'”