"When Flight 11 hits the WTC at 8:46 a.m., President Bush’s motorcade is crossing the John Ringling Causeway on the way to Booker Elementary from the Colony Beach and Tennis Resort on Longboat Key. [Washington Times, 10/8/2002] Sarasota Magazine claims that Bush is on Highway 301, just north of Main Street when he is told that a plane has crashed in New York City. [Sarasota Magazine, 9/19/2001] Around the same time, Press Secretary Ari Fleischer, who riding in another car in the motorcade, is talking on his cell phone, when he blurts out: 'Oh, my God, I don’t believe it. A plane just hit the World Trade Center.' (The person with whom Fleischer is speaking remains unknown.) Fleischer is told he will be needed on arrival to discuss reports of the crash. [Christian Science Monitor, 9/17/2001; Albuquerque Tribune, 9/10/2002] This call takes place 'just minutes' after the first news reports. [MSNBC, 10/29/2002] Congressman Dan Miller also says he is told about the crash just before meeting Bush at Booker elementary school at 8:55 a.m. [Sarasota Magazine, 9/19/2001] Some reporters waiting for him to arrive also learn of the crash just minutes after it happens. [CBS News, 9/11/2002] It would make sense that Bush is told about the crash immediately, at the same time that others hear about it. Yet the official story remains that Bush is not told about the crash until he arrives at the school. Author James Bamford comments, 'Despite having a secure STU-III phone next to [Bush] in the presidential limousine and an entire national security staff at the White House, it appears that the president of the United States knew less than tens of millions of other people in every part of the country who were watching the attack as it unfolded.' [Bamford, 2004, pp. 17]"

"Shortly after the WTC is hit, the FAA opens a telephone line with the Secret Service to keep the White House informed of all events. [ [Sources: Richard ("Dick") Cheney] A few days later, Vice President Cheney will state, 'The Secret Service has an arrangement with the FAA. They had open lines after the World Trade Center was ...' (He stopped himself before finishing the sentence.) [MSNBC, 9/16/2001]"

"Captain Deborah Loewer, director of the White House Situation Room, is traveling in President Bush’s motorcade toward Booker Elementary School, when she learns of the first WTC crash from her deputy in the Situation Room at the White House. According to some reports, as soon as the motorcade reaches the school, Loewer runs from her car to Bush’s car, and informs Bush. [Catholic Telegraph, 12/7/2001; Associated Press, 11/26/2001] Note that Bush maintains that he learns of the crash at a later time."

Bush’s motorcade arrives at Booker Elementary School. [Source: Lions Gate Films] "President Bush’s motorcade arrives at Booker Elementary School for a photo-op to promote his education policies. [ABC News, 9/11/2002; Washington Times, 10/7/2002; Sarasota Magazine, 9/19/2001; Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001; Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/10/2002; New York Times, 9/16/2001; Albuquerque Tribune, 9/10/2002] If he left the Colony Resort around 8:35 a.m. as reported, the timing of his arrival at 8:55 a.m. is consistent with the fact that the trip from the resort to the school is said to take 20 minutes. [New York Times, 9/16/2001; St. Petersburg Times, 9/8/2002; MSNBC, 10/29/2002]"

"President Bush’s motorcade has arrived at Booker Elementary School and Bush enters the school with his entourage. The beepers of politicians’ aides are going off with news of the first WTC crash as Bush arrives. According to one account, Bush learns of the crash when adviser Karl Rove takes Bush aside in a school corridor and tells him about the calamity. According to this account, Rove says the cause of the crash was unclear. Bush replies, 'What a horrible accident!' Bush also suggests the pilot may have had a heart attack. This account is recalled by photographer Eric Draper, who was standing nearby at the time. [Daily Mail, 9/8/2002] Dan Bartlett, White House Communications Director, also says he is there when Bush is told: '[Bush] being a former pilot, had kind of the same reaction, going, was it bad weather? And I said no, apparently not.' [ABC News, 9/11/2002] One account states that Rove tells Bush the WTC has been hit by a large commercial airliner. [Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001] However, Bush later remembers Rove saying it appeared to be an accident involving a small, twin-engine plane. [Washington Post, 1/27/2002] In a third version of the story, Bush later recalls that he first learns of the crash from chief of Staff Andrew Card, who says, '‘Here’s what you’re going to be doing; you’re going to meet so-and-so, such-and-such.’ And Andy Card says, ‘By the way, an aircraft flew into the World Trade Center.’' [Washington Times, 10/7/2002] 'From the demeanor of the president, grinning at the children, it appeared that the enormity of what he had been told was taking a while to sink in,' according to a reporter standing nearby at the time. [Daily Mail, 9/8/2002; Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001]"

"National Security Adviser Rice later claims she is in her White House office when she hears about the first WTC crash just before 9:00 a.m. She recalls, 'I thought to myself, what an odd accident.' She reportedly speaks to President Bush around 9:00 a.m. on the telephone, and tells him that a twin-engine plane has struck the WTC tower. She says, 'That’s all we know right now, Mr. President.' [Newsweek, 12/31/2001] Rice later claims, 'He said, what a terrible, it sounds like a terrible accident. Keep me informed.' [ABC News, 9/11/2002] Despite her title of National Security Adviser, she is apparently unaware that NORAD has scrambled planes after learning of two hijackings in progress at least 15 minutes ago. She goes ahead with her usual national security staff meeting. [Newsweek, 12/31/2001] Author James Bamford comments, 'Neither Rice nor Bush was aware that the United States had gone to ‘battle stations’ alert and had scrambled fighter jets into the air to intercept and possibly take hostile action against multiple hijacked airliners, something that was then known by hundreds of others within NORAD, the Federal Aviation Administration, and the Pentagon.' [Bamford, 2004, pp. 17] Congressman Dan Miller, who is waiting in a receiving line to meet Bush, says he waits a few minutes for the call to end. Bush appears unbothered when he greets Miller after the call. Miller recalls, 'It was nothing different from the normal, brief greeting with the president.' [St. Petersburg Times, 7/4/2004]"

"Sarasota elementary school principal Gwen Tose-Rigell is summoned to a room to talk with President Bush. She recalls, 'He said a commercial plane has hit the World Trade Center, and we’re going to go ahead and go on, we’re going on to do the reading thing anyway.' [Associated Press, 8/19/2002] One local reporter notes that at this point, 'He could and arguably should have left Emma E. Booker Elementary School immediately, gotten onto Air Force One and left Sarasota without a moment’s delay.' [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/12/2001]"

"President Bush later makes the following statement: 'And I was sitting outside the classroom waiting to go in, and I saw an airplane hit the tower—the television was obviously on, and I use to fly myself, and I said, ‘There’s one terrible pilot.’ And I said, ‘It must have been a horrible accident.’ But I was whisked off there—I didn’t have much time to think about it.' [US President, 12/10/2001] He has repeated the story on other occasions. [US President, 1/14/2002; CBS News, 9/11/2002] Notably, the first WTC Crash was not shown live on television. Further, Bush does not have access to a television until 15 or so minutes later. [Washington Times, 10/7/2002] A Boston Herald article later notes, 'Think about that. Bush’s remark implies he saw the first plane hit the tower. But we all know that video of the first plane hitting did not surface until the next day. Could Bush have meant he saw the second plane hit—which many Americans witnessed? No, because he said that he was in the classroom when Andrew Card whispered in his ear that a second plane hit.' The article, noting that Bush has repeated this story more than once, asks, 'How could the commander in chief have seen the plane fly into the first building—as it happened?' [Boston Herald, 10/22/2002] A Bush spokesman later calls Bush’s repeated comments 'just a mistaken recollection.' [Wall Street Journal, 3/22/2004 ]"

Flight 175 hits the WTC south tower. The picture was taken from a traffic helicopter. [Source: WABC 7/ Salient Stills] "Flight 175 hits the South Tower of the World Trade Center (Tower Two). Seismic records pinpoint the time at six seconds before 9:03 a.m. (rounded to 9:03 a.m.). [CNN, 9/17/2001; North American Aerospace Defense Command, 9/18/2001; New York Times, 9/12/2001; CNN, 9/12/2001; Associated Press, 8/19/2002; USA Today, 9/2/2002; New York Times, 9/11/2002; USA Today, 12/20/2001] Millions watch the crash live on television. The plane strikes the 78th through 84th floors in the 110-story building. Approximately 100 people are killed or injured in the initial impact; 600 people in the tower eventually die. All but four of those killed work above the crash point. The death toll is far lower than in the North Tower because about two-thirds of the South Tower’s occupants have evacuated the building in the 17 minutes since the first tower was struck. [USA Today, 12/20/2001] The combined death toll from the two towers is estimated at 2,819, not including the hijackers. [Associated Press, 8/19/2002] "

The explosion caused by Flight 175. [Source: Associated Press] "According to Sarasota County Sheriff Bill Balkwill, just after President Bush enters a Booker Elementary classroom, a Marine responsible for carrying Bush’s phone walks up to Balkwill, who is standing in a nearby side room. While listening to someone talk to him in his earpiece, the Marine asks, 'Can you get me to a television? We’re not sure what’s going on, but we need to see a television.' Three Secret Service agents, a SWAT member, the Marine, and Balkwill turn on the television in a nearby front office just as Flight 175 crashes into the WTC. 'We’re out of here,' the Marine tells Balkwill. 'Can you get everyone ready?' [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/10/2002] However, Bush stays at the school for another half-hour. Who makes the decision to stay—and why—remains unclear, and the Secret Service won’t comment on the matter. Philip Melanson, author of a book on the Secret Service, comments, 'With an unfolding terrorist attack, the procedure should have been to get the president to the closest secure location as quickly as possible, which clearly is not a school. you’re safer in that presidential limo, which is bombproof and blastproof and bulletproof. ... In the presidential limo, the communications system is almost duplicative of the White House—he can do almost anything from there but he can’t do much sitting in a school.' [St. Petersburg Times, 7/4/2004]"

President Bush enters Sandra Kay Daniels’ classroom. [Source: Lions Gate Films]

"President Bush enters Sandra Kay Daniels’ second-grade class for a photo-op to promote Bush’s education policies. [Daily Mail, 9/8/2002] Numerous reporters who travel with the president, as well as members of the local media, watch from the back of the room. [Associated Press, 8/19/2002] Altogether, there are about 150 people in the room, 16 of whom are children in the class. He is introduced to the children and poses for a number of pictures. The teacher then leads the students through some reading exercises (video footage shows this lasts about three minutes). [Salon, 9/12/2001] Bush later claims that during this lesson, he is thinking what he will say about the WTC crash. 'I was concentrating on the program at this point, thinking about what I was going to say. Obviously, I felt it was an accident. I was concerned about it, but there were no alarm bells.' [Washington Times, 10/7/2002] The children are just getting their books from under their seats to read a story together when Chief of Staff Andrew Card comes in to tell Bush of the second WTC crash. [Washington Times, 10/8/2002; Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001] According to the Washington Times, Card comes in at the conclusion of the first half of the planned lesson, and '[seizes] a pause in the reading drill to walk up to Mr. Bush’s seat.' [Washington Times, 10/7/2002; Washington Times, 10/8/2002]"

Andrew Card speaks to President Bush and tells him of the second World Trade Center crash. [Source: Agence France-Presse] "President Bush is in a Booker Elementary School second-grader classroom. His chief of staff, Andrew Card, enters the room and whispers into his ear, 'A second plane hit the other tower, and America’s under attack.' [New York Times, 9/16/2001; Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001; Albuquerque Tribune, 9/10/2002; Washington Times, 10/8/2002; ABC News, 9/11/2002] Intelligence expert James Bamford describes Bush’s reaction: 'Immediately [after Card speaks to Bush] an expression of befuddlement passe[s] across the president’s face. Then, having just been told that the country was under attack, the commander in chief appear[s] uninterested in further details. He never ask[s] if there had been any additional threats, where the attacks were coming from, how to best protect the country from further attacks. ... Instead, in the middle of a modern-day Pearl Harbor, he simply turn[s] back to the matter at hand: the day’s photo-op.' [Bamford, 2002, pp. 633] Bush begins listening to a story about a goat. But despite the pause and change in children’s exercises, as one newspaper put it, 'For some reason, Secret Service agents [do] not bustle him away.' [Globe and Mail, 9/12/2001] Bush later says of the experience, 'I am very aware of the cameras. I’m trying to absorb that knowledge. I have nobody to talk to. I’m sitting in the midst of a classroom with little kids, listening to a children’s story and I realize I’m the commander in chief and the country has just come under attack.' [Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001] Bush listens to the goat story for about ten more minutes. The reason given is that, 'Without all the facts at hand, George Bush ha[s] no intention of upsetting the schoolchildren who had come to read for him.' [MSNBC, 10/29/2002] Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport is only three and a half miles away. In fact, the elementary school was chosen for the photo-op partly because of its closeness to the airport. [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/12/2002] Why the Secret Service does not move Bush away from his publicized location that morning remains unclear."

President Bush and Sandra Kay Daniels read the goat story while the media watches. [Source:
White House/ Eric Draper]
"President Bush, having just been told of the second WTC crash, stays in the Booker Elementary School Classroom, and listens as 16 Booker Elementary School second-graders take turns reading 'The Pet Goat.' It’s a simple story about a girl’s pet goat. [Agence France-Presse, 9/7/2002; Editor & Publisher, 7/2/2004] They are just about to begin reading when Bush is told of the attack. One account says that the classroom is then silent for about 30 seconds, maybe more. Bush then picks up the book and reads with the children 'for eight or nine minutes.' [Tampa Tribune, 9/1/2002] In unison, the children read aloud, 'The-Pet-Goat. A-girl-got-a-pet-goat. But-the-goat-did-some-things-that-made-the-girl’s-dad-mad.' And so on. Bush mostly listens, but does ask the children a few questions to encourage them. [Washington Times, 10/7/2002] At one point he says, 'Really good readers, whew! ... These must be sixth-graders!' [Time, 9/12/2001] In the back of the room, Press Secretary Ari Fleischer catches Bush’s eye and holds up a pad of paper for him to read, with 'DON’ T SAY ANYTHING YET' written on it in big block letters. [Washington Times, 10/7/2002] (Note that three articles claim that Bush leaves the classroom at 9:12 a.m.) [New York Times, 9/16/2001; Daily Telegraph, 12/16/2001; Daily Mail, 9/8/2002] However, a videotape of the event lasts for 'at least seven additional minutes' and ends before Bush leaves. [Wall Street Journal, 3/22/2004 ] (The timing of this entry is a rough approximation based mostly on the Tampa Tribune estimate. Much of this video footage is shown in Michael Moore’s documentary Fahrenheit 9/11. [New York Times, 6/18/2004]"

Bush continues to read the goat story. [Source: Lions Gate Films]

"President Bush leaves the Sarasota classroom where he has been since about 9:03 a.m.(see 9:03 a.m. September 11, 2001). The children finish their lessons and put away their readers. [Sarasota Magazine, 9/19/2001] Bush advises the children to stay in school and be good citizens. [Tampa Tribune, 9/1/2002; St. Petersburg Times, 9/8/2002] He also tells the children, 'Thank you all so very much for showing me your reading skills.' [ABC News, 9/11/2002] One student also asks Bush a question, and Bush gives a quick response on his education policy. [New York Post, 9/12/2002] A reporter asks, 'Mr. President, are you aware of the reports of the plane crash in New York? Is there any...' This question is interrupted by an aide who has come into the room, saying, 'All right. Thank you. If everyone could please step outside.' Bush then says, 'We’ll talk about it later.' [CBS News, 9/11/2002] Bush then tells school principal Gwen Tose-Rigell, who is in the room, about the terror attacks and why he has to leave. [Washington Times, 10/7/2002] He then goes into an empty classroom next door and meets with his staff there. [ABC News, 9/11/2002] Bush’s program with the children was supposed to start at 9:00 a.m. and end 20 minutes later. [Sarasota Herald-Tribune, 9/16/2001] He leaves the classroom only a couple of minutes earlier than planned, if at all. The 'goodbyes' and questions on the way out may have taken another minute or two."

Bush in a holding room before giving his speech. Communications director Dan Bartlett points to the TV, and the clock reads 9:25. [Source: White House] "President Bush works with his staff to prepare a speech he will deliver at 9:29 a.m. (see 9:29 a.m. September 11, 2001) He intermittently watches the television coverage in the room. [Albuquerque Tribune, 9/10/2002] He also speaks on the phone to advisers, first calling National Security Adviser Rice, then Vice President Cheney, then New York Governor George Pataki. [Daily Mail, 9/8/2002] Bush often turns to look at a television screen. He declares, 'We’re at war.' [BBC, 9/1/2002] Bush later claims he makes no major decisions about the crisis until after boarding Air Force One at 9:55 a.m. (see (9:56 a.m.) September 11, 2001)."

President Bush begins speaking at
9:29 in the library of Booker Elementary School. [Source: Booker Elementary website] "Still inside Booker Elementary School, President Bush gives a brief speech in front of about 200 students, plus many teachers and reporters. [Daily Mail, 9/8/2002] He says, 'Today we’ve had a national tragedy. Two airplanes have crashed into the World Trade Center in an apparent terrorist attack on our country.' [Federal News Service, 9/11/2001] The talk occurs at exactly the time and place stated in his publicly announced advance schedule—making Bush a possible terrorist target. [MSNBC, 9/22/2001; Washington Post, 9/12/2001; CNN, 9/12/2001; New York Times, 9/12/2001] This is the last most Americans will see of Bush until the evening. reporters at Booker Elementary School."

"Kevin Down, a Sarasota police officer, recalls that immediately after President Bush’s speech concludes, 'The Secret Service agent [runs] out from the school and [says] We’re under terrorist attack, we have to go now.' [BBC, 9/1/2002] The motorcade departs a few minutes later."