George W. Bush 9/11 eyewitnesses recount moments at Florida elementary school

As the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks approaches, former officials and witnesses are sharing firsthand accounts of the moment President George W. Bush learned of the terrorist attacks while visiting Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida.

Brian Montgomery, former director of the Office of Presidential Advance, recalled riding in the presidential motorcade and witnessing the immediate confusion as news of the first plane hitting the World Trade Center arrived. He described how Bush later spoke with National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice following the initial report.

Witnesses at the school, including former second-grade student Krystal Davis and teacher Sandra Daniels, described the visible shift in the President's demeanor when White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card whispered, “America is under attack,” after the second plane struck the South Tower. Davis noted that while the President attempted to maintain a calm appearance for the children, the gravity of the situation was evident on his face.

The accounts highlight the tension within the classroom and the subsequent security decisions made by the administration as the nation faced an unprecedented crisis.