9/11: George Bush breaks down his very public initial reaction - BBC

On September 11th 2001, the United States came under attack. The George Bush administration describe the morning that changed the world forever.

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9/11: Inside the President's War Room | Streaming now | BBC iPlayer

[i.ak.]

Imagine being an American citizen, a reporter, hearing your nation is under attack and seeing the president of your nation right in front of you, getting the same message.

[aileencastaneda]

The way he kept calm because he didn’t want to scare the children. You can feel his energy shift and his expressions just shows everything. His expressions just showed every emotion he was going through.

[Ani-Albanian]

Hearing "America is under attack" has to be surreal especially as president

[EndangeredVesper]

His body language during this is perfect for studying and understanding human behaviour. The rapid change in his train of thought and attitude without saying anything is like night and day

[Arethesethefacts]

Remember it on the news. My dad just uttered the words "this is the start of something big" chills still go down my spine.

[littleainsa]

“A second plane has hit the second tower. America is under attack … and I’m watching a child read.”

Knowing war is upon you and seeing the innocence of the babies before your eyes. Chilling.

[badddd]

I cannot believe I actually witnessed this, 20 years later I'm still almost speechless..

[mase]

I remember we gave him crap for his lack of reaction at the time but looking back now what was he supposed to do?
I think he handled the news in that situation well

[pavan]

Oddly as I grow older, I really respect his reaction and calmness here. The whole nation on his shoulder yet he was able to stay calm.

[Xandra]

I was 18 on 9/11 and had just started college. I didn't like W at all but I felt then and feel now that his reaction was appropriate. He was in front of a class full of children - the last thing you want to do is frighten them. If he had panicked, everyone would have panicked. He did the right thing in that moment.

[JG-vjlm]

I remember coming home from the special needs school I had attended. My father said that the plane crashed into the building and my Grandfather was in the building. Hearing the news at 9 years old became terrifying because my relationship with my Grandad was perfect and loving. My father instantly knew he shouldn't have said that. However I understood that he was in shock. He then proceeded to take my mind of the matter and play wrestle with me and it worked.
Reflecting upon that moment I felt a special bond with my dad and later, a relief that my Grandad was late for work that day.

[CreAnt.]

For a couple of minutes that little office in that little school became the headquarter of the greatest military power in history

[bjlabestre]

As one of many who we're old enough to remember, it just feels like I lived two lives: the one before 9/11 and the life after.

[roxxychik]

The way that one lady's breath hitched when she tried to say the word impacted.

[PoeticProse]

I believed, at the time, that he reacted the way he did because he knew that after that moment, those children were going home to a completely different country racked with fear and grief. He gave them a last few moments of innocence. I will never forget seeing all of that as a student and having family in the military.

[TexMex_]

He received so much backlash for his reaction from the press. I remember being a kid and seeing how well he handled himself

[badledgend]

Doesn't matter how many times I watch the footage, doesn't matter that I know the events before and 20 years on, still makes my stomach turn and my heart drop.

[bradensmith]

as someone who was a kid when it happened, being an adult now, im awestruck at how these adults handled this.

[mogznwaz]

I'm British and I will never forget that day. I'd had dinner at the Windows on the World restaurant just 2 months before and so I appreciated the size of the towers, I also worked for an American company who lost an employee on the 2nd plane so perhaps it felt a bit closer. It was surreal, like a movie, hard to take it in, the enormity, the horror and the fear. I knew then that the world would never be the same again - and it wasn't.

[rheableu]

I am not a Bush fan by any stetch of the imagination but I think he handled his reaction (whilst being recorded in front of children) very well.