George W. Bush news
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The gist
George W. Bush said Americans "don't pay attention to the lesson of 9/11" at a 25th-anniversary.
The rare remarks come as the U.S. marks 25 years since the attacks and.
Background
Bush was president on Sept. 11, 2001, when terrorists attacked the U.S.; he was visiting an elementary school in Sarasota, Fla., when then-chief of staff Andrew Card told him a second plane had hit the World Trade Center. He later visited Ground Zero on Sept. 14, 2001, and described himself as becoming a "wartime president." The 25th-anniversary event, "A Legacy of Service: America at the 25th Anniversary of 9/11," was held at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas and was billed as his only public remarks on the attacks this year.
How it unfolded
- Sep 11, 2001Bush was at Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Fla., when chief of staff Andrew Card told him a second plane had hit the World Trade Center.
- Sep 14, 2001Bush visited and spoke at Ground Zero, standing amid the wreckage with first responders.
- Oct 30, 2001Bush threw the ceremonial first pitch before Game 3 of the World Series at Yankee Stadium.
- Sep 9, 2026Bush hosted "A Legacy of Service: America at the 25th Anniversary of 9/11" at his presidential center in Dallas, joined by Gen. Dan Caine and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
- Sep 10, 2026Bush said Americans "don't pay attention to the lesson of 9/11" and praised Caine, saying, "Thank God you are where you are."
Who’s saying what
- Official
- Bush said Americans "don't pay attention to the lesson of 9/11" and recalled that helping the country return to normal was his highest priority, adding, "I didn't want us to lose our soul."
- Analysts
- The Hill described Bush's remarks as a subtle rebuke to Donald Trump's Iran war strategy.
Still unverified
The Hill's characterization of Bush's remarks as a "subtle rebuke" to Trump's Iran war strategy is an interpretation by that outlet, not a confirmed statement by Bush.