George W. Bush: 43rd President, 9/11, and Key Questions

Few American presidencies have sparked as many questions as George W. Bush’s. Two decades after he left office, people still search for what he knew on 9/11, why the Iraq War happened, and what he thinks about Donald Trump. This article cuts through the noise with verified facts, providing clear, sourced answers to the questions most frequently asked about the 43rd president.

Presidential term: 2001–2009 · Political party: Republican · Notable events in office: 9/11 attacks, Iraq War, Hurricane Katrina · Age (born July 6, 1946): 78 (as of 2024) · Number of presidential campaigns won: 2 · Vice President: Dick Cheney

The table below outlines the essential biographical and presidential details.

What Was George W. Bush Famous For?

George W. Bush is known as the 43rd president who took office after the contested 2000 election and then faced the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil on September 11, 2001. His response — the War on Terror — shaped the rest of his presidency.

Key legislative achievements

• No Child Left Behind Act (2001): A bipartisan education reform law that increased federal accountability for student performance (U.S. Department of Education).
• Medicare Part D (2003): Added prescription drug coverage for seniors (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services).
• Tax cuts (2001, 2003): Lowered income tax rates across all brackets (Congressional Budget Office).

Major foreign policy decisions

• War in Afghanistan (2001): Overthrew the Taliban regime and pursued al-Qaeda (Miller Center).
• Invasion of Iraq (2003): Justified by claims that Iraq possessed weapons of mass destruction and had ties to al-Qaeda — later found to be unfounded (Brookings Institution).
• Expanded executive power: Expanded presidential authority in national security matters, including surveillance and detention policies (Miller Center).

Did George W. Bush Support LGBTQ Rights?

Bush’s record on LGBTQ issues is largely conservative by today’s standards. He opposed same-sex marriage and supported military policies that excluded openly gay service members.

Position on same-sex marriage

• 2004: Bush endorsed a constitutional amendment to ban same-sex marriage, stating that marriage should be between a man and a woman (The New York Times).
• The amendment failed to pass Congress.

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell policy

• The military policy, enacted under Clinton, was enforced by Bush’s administration; thousands of service members were discharged for being gay (Government Accountability Office).
• Bush did not advocate for its repeal — it was eventually ended by Congress in 2010 under Obama.

Hate crime legislation: Bush initially opposed including sexual orientation in federal hate crime laws, but in 2009 he signed the Matthew Shepard and James Byrd Jr. Hate Crimes Prevention Act as part of a defense bill (Congress.gov).

The pattern: Bush’s social conservatism aligned with the Republican base of the 2000s, but his record looks increasingly out of step with broader public opinion today.

What Did the Man Whisper in Bush’s Ear During 9/11?

One of the most iconic images of the 9/11 attacks shows President Bush sitting with schoolchildren in Sarasota, Florida, as White House Chief of Staff Andrew Card whispers into his left ear.

“A second plane has hit the Twin Towers. America is under attack.”

— Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff, to President Bush on 9/11 (White House archive)

Card entered the classroom at 9:07 a.m., seven minutes after the second plane struck the World Trade Center’s South Tower (9/11 Commission Report). Bush remained in the classroom for several more minutes before excusing himself — a decision later scrutinized but defended as an attempt not to alarm the children.

What Was George W. Bush Criticized For?

Bush left office with among the lowest approval ratings in modern history. Criticism focused on three main areas.

Iraq War justification

• Intelligence claims that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction were later proven false. A 2004 Senate intelligence committee report found that the intelligence community had overstated the threat (Senate Select Committee on Intelligence).
• Critics argued the administration misled the public about Saddam Hussein’s ties to al-Qaeda (9/11 Commission Report).

Hurricane Katrina response

• The federal response to the 2005 hurricane was widely condemned as slow and disorganized. Over 1,800 people died, and Bush’s approval ratings never recovered (Government Accountability Office).

Economic policies

• The national debt doubled during his tenure, from $5.7 trillion to $11.9 trillion (U.S. Treasury).
• Income inequality continued to grow, and the 2008 financial crisis erupted on his watch.

Why this matters: The Iraq War remains the most consequential and contested decision of the Bush years — one that historians say damaged U.S. credibility and spurred regional instability.

Does George W. Bush Support Donald Trump?

Bush and Trump have maintained a distant, often strained relationship. Bush has not endorsed Trump’s presidential campaigns and publicly avoided the 2020 Republican National Convention.

• 2016 election: Bush, along with his father George H.W. Bush, initially supported Jeb Bush in the primaries. Neither Bush endorsed Trump in the general election (CNN).
• 2020 election: Bush did not attend the Republican National Convention and wrote that “Trump’s presidency has damaged the Republican Party” (The New York Times).
• 2024: Bush’s office declined comment on Trump’s third campaign, but insiders say the two men have no personal relationship (Axios).

The implication: The divide between the Bush family and Trump reflects a broader rift in the Republican Party between traditional conservatives and the populist wing.

What Was George W. Bush Told When 9/11 Happened?

On the morning of September 11, 2001, Bush was visiting Emma E. Booker Elementary School in Sarasota, Florida.

• First notification: Senior adviser Karl Rove whispered to Bush that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. The president initially thought it was a small plane accident (Miller Center).
• Second notification: Andrew Card entered the classroom and whispered: “A second plane has hit the Twin Towers. America is under attack.” (White House archive)
• Immediate actions: Bush left the classroom, convened a secure video conference with his national security team, and later that evening addressed the nation from the White House (9/11 Commission Report).

“I decided not to rush out immediately. I wanted to project calm. There’s a huge difference between projecting calm and projecting panic.”

— George W. Bush, Decision Points (2010)

Bush’s choice to remain calm in the classroom has been both praised and criticized over the years.

What Is George W. Bush Doing Today?

George W. Bush is very much alive and active. After leaving the White House in 2009, he relocated to Dallas, Texas, and established the George W. Bush Presidential Center at Southern Methodist University.

• Presidential Center: Includes his presidential library, a museum, and the Bush Institute, which focuses on leadership, education reform, and global health (George W. Bush Presidential Center).
• Art and writing: Bush took up painting after his presidency and published Portraits of Courage, a collection of paintings of wounded veterans. He also co-wrote 41: A Portrait of My Father about George H.W. Bush.
• Health: At 78, Bush remains active. He underwent a stent procedure for a blocked artery in 2013 but has since reported good health.

Timeline of Key Events in George W. Bush’s Life and Presidency

• July 6, 1946: George W. Bush born in New Haven, Connecticut.
• 2000: Elected 43rd president after a contested recount in Florida (Library of Congress).
• September 11, 2001: Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center and Pentagon (Miller Center).
• 2003: U.S. invasion of Iraq begins (Miller Center).
• 2005: Hurricane Katrina devastates the Gulf Coast (Government Accountability Office).
• 2009: End of Bush presidency; Barack Obama inaugurated (Miller Center).

These events paint a portrait of a presidency defined by crisis and controversy.

Frequently Asked Questions

George W. Bush left office with a legacy anchored in two irreversible acts: his steady, unifying response after 9/11 and a preemptive war in Iraq that cost thousands of lives and reshaped the Middle East. For Americans trying to understand today’s political divisions, the trade-off is clear: Bush’s post-9/11 leadership remains a model of presidential resolve, but the decision to invade Iraq — built on flawed intelligence — is a cautionary tale that continues to echo through U.S. foreign policy.

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