Americans of divergent political persuasions found common cause to unite around President George W. Bush after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks because of the clear and present danger that al-Qaida posed to the nation. Political divisions began developing in the lead-up to the 2003 Iraq War, at which point Bush refused to budge on his justification for the invasion. Leaders of his party stood loyally behind him, even to the point of questioning the patriotism of Iraq War critics.
The divisions sown back then are growing wider and deeper today, and it’s those divisions — not al-Qaida — that now pose perhaps the greatest threat to the nation’s survival. To his credit, Bush recognizes these new dangers and has correctly called out those responsible. He chose the solemn occasion of the 20th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks to speak out against the domestic extremists hiding behind the banner of patriotism to undermine national unity. They are succeeding where al-Qaida failed.
Speaking in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, at the site where Flight 93 crashed after passengers overwhelmed 9/11 hijackers, Bush noted the heightened security measures that Americans have accepted as necessary to fend off future terrorist attacks. Then he shifted focus to warn of the new threat America faces. Though Bush didn’t name names, it was clear he was referring to the divisiveness cultivated during Donald Trump’s presidency that culminated in the Jan. 6 Capitol insurrection:
