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George W. Bush: The 9/11 Interview

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  • Description

    Nat Geo's candid interview with George W. Bush as he reflects on the events of 9/11.

  • Duration 5:01
  • Date

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This transcript is automatically generated

And any -- Massachusetts accent.

Was whispering in my -- -- second plane has hit the second tower America is under attack.

My first reaction was anger -- Could help.

Do that to America.

And then I'm merely focused on the children.

And the contrast.

Between the notion of an attack and the innocence of children clarified my job.

And that's protect.

People -- we all remember that day seeing him reading to the classroom down in Florida and getting the news of nine elevenths.

We're here with Peterson all who is executive producer and director.

Of the documentary George Bush the 9/11 and -- view.

I'm just gonna brag on him for two seconds before we talk about the six time national Emmy award winner Peabody award winner.

Made so many documentaries and films over the last twenty years including one that you at home probably watched on board Air Force One it was the highest rated one hour special.

Won the National Geographic channel in history right.

That's great congratulation -- It's been don't watch that it was fascinating things let's talk about this this is going to air on Sunday primary difference Sunday night -- have my tea that's sat there a lot of -- -- on National Geographic Sunday night.

In reference to 9/11.

You spent two days with the former president.

Well I thought -- And a great opportunity to sit down with the -- president.

Over two day period for five hours of interview which as you know is not something that He often does in this kind of stayed in the background limit.

Since He left office.

What we wanted to use -- give him the opportunity to sit down and talk about the events of nine elevenths as they affected him personally.

As president as commander in chief.

But also his father husband and over the course of that lengthy interview He opened up in a way that.

I don't think we've ever seen before.

And what did you learn from them.

What was the what was that -- fascinating part of the senate.

I think for a need for those of us like myself and all of us you know who journey through that horrific time in September.

It was it just -- to hear the president also talked about how things were confusing in the early hours in -- September -- They didn't really know from the enemy was they didn't if there -- more attacks.

-- they had a very difficult time with communications and He says to us quite clearly -- I think He was living through the fog of war.

Which I thought was quite interesting thing for president this -- And this Lucent has Dallas office -- in the guardian of the -- all of the entire -- it took place in his office in Dallas we set up sort of a black box economy and -- -- of -- Morsel of the candidate tales that He shared with.

He talked a lot about what it meant to pretend to be glad He didn't uses where He was the president member was on the -- You know they they didn't know if they were more attacks coming -- you know the plane was a target.

He talked about the frustration.

Not be able to get back to Washington.

We talked about there fact that.

He had to make decisions while flying across the country 40000 people on the air -- Air Force One.

Which which is the mobile command center but the communication system -- and as robust as it is today and even the president was never get back to Washington kneeling.

It was so much wasn't He was told He couldn't -- -- I mean as they need to figure out where they can put them and we have to remember in the capital was under attack right and they didn't know the White House was a target.

So they needed to find a safe place for the president -- airports when He is one of the safest places the president can be.

But you that we haven't gotten there yet to -- a place to -- using it right.

This issue that is actually resentful of the and the Secret Service wasn't listening or frustrated.

There it appeared He had been directed but He wasn't that wasn't the PJ McCormick who just joining -- -- -- -- task because stick around for the hour.

Would say frustrated isn't is the -- that He used several times frustrated that He could not get back to Washington frustrated that He.

You know wasn't able to be at the center of his command.

In memory everybody else the vice president.

Tucker writes the role in the piazza from the bunker underneath the -- But he's just can't find around the United States until they landed in those air force bases so He talked -- that -- -- having to make decisions.

Sort of on the fly literally -- literally.

And one of those big decisions was as you know the FDA brought down all commercial clients -- -- He gave the order to be of course that.

If the plane did not respondent did not come down they had the authority to shoot down any -- -- -- -- When flight 93 went down in the fields of Pennsylvania.

It.

Took a little while before the president was actually informed that.

He wasn't his directive.

Bringing down commercial flights that had caused the plane to come down so there are moments like that where they just didn't know what was going -- -- happening what was happening yeah.

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