
During his 9/11 anniversary speech on Saturday, former President George W. Bush seemed to compare those who rioted at the Capitol on January 6 to the terrorists who attacked the U.S. on September 11, 2011.
Bush made heavy note of the threat of “domestic terrorists” during the solemn ceremony, which Newsweek described as a “veiled comparison” between January 6 and 9/11.
Bush made his comments during a speech given in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, close to where United Flight 93 crashed on 9/11.
FULL SPEECH: Former President George W. Bush speaks at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, on the 20th anniversary on 9/11. pic.twitter.com/mubnNNM2St
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 11, 2021
Bush Calls For Unity Before Painting American Citizens As Extremists
“In the weeks and months following the 9/11 attacks, I was proud to lead an amazing, resilient, united people,” Bush said before noting that “when it comes to the unity of America, those days seem distant from our own.”
“Malign force seems at work in our common life that turns every disagreement into an argument and every argument into a clash of cultures,” Bush continued.
The former president then claimed that “so much of our politics has become a naked appeal to anger, fear and resentment. That leaves us worried about our nation and our future together.”
“On America’s day of trial and grief, I saw millions of people instinctively grab for a neighbor’s hand and rally to the cause of one another,” Bush said.
“That is the America I know,” he added.
Bush gave a speech on 9/11 today and all I heard was that guys like me – who went to war under him AND his father – were a terrorist threat to our country.
He's trash and I'm done with him and his whole cabal.
— Kurt Schlichter (@KurtSchlichter) September 11, 2021
Bush: ‘Children Of The Same Foul Spirit’
But after calling for unity, Bush went in a different direction.
“We have seen growing evidence that the dangers to our country can come not only across borders but from violence that gathers within,” he said.
Seeming to focus on the people who protested at the Capitol on January 6, Bush said, “There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home.”
“But in it’s disdainful pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols, they are children of the same foul spirit and it is our continuing duty to confront them,” Bush added.
In response to the comparison, many took to Twitter to express outrage.
To say this angered some conservatives is an understatement.
Conservatives fire on Bush
“George Bush is a fraud!” declared conservative comedian Terrence K. Williams. “This clown compared Jan 6th to 9/11. What an insult. It’s not even close.”
George Bush is a fraud! This clown compared Jan 6th to 9/11. What an insult. It’s not even close
— Terrence K. Williams (@w_terrence) September 12, 2021
Conservative activist group ACT for America tweeted, “There is no comparison between 9/11/2001 & 1/6/2021. George W Bush is an imbecile.”
There is no comparison between 9/11/2001 & 1/6/2021.
George W Bush is an imbecile.
— ACT For America (@ACTforAmerica) September 11, 2021
“The only place Bush should be on 9/11 is answering to the American people for all his lies,” Washington GOP Congressional candidate and retired Army Special Forces chief warrant officer Joe Kent tweeted.
The only place Bush should be on 9/11 is answering to the American people for all his lies.
Instead he’s just showing us that the regime is not just one party, it’s the ruling class that despises us & is not done exploiting us. https://t.co/Tc9sVSzFyg
— Joe Kent for WA-3 (@joekent16jan19) September 11, 2021
“Instead he’s just showing us that the regime is not just one party, it’s the ruling class that despises us & is not done exploiting us,” Kent added.
Conservative commentator Jack Posobiec wrote, “When Occupy Democrats is cheering George W Bush you might be confused if you haven’t been paying attention.”
When Occupy Democrats is cheering George W Bush you might be confused if you haven’t been paying attention pic.twitter.com/3woPrs21Hu
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) September 11, 2021
“Bush is publicly comparing 9/11 to Jan 6,” Posobiec also tweeted. “They want Trump supporters treated like jihadists.”
“Are you paying attention yet?” he added.
Bush is publicly comparing 9/11 to Jan 6
They want Trump supporters treated like jihadists
Are you paying attention yet?pic.twitter.com/ByOi5hEoXt
— Jack Poso 🇺🇸 (@JackPosobiec) September 11, 2021
Newsweek noted that Bush’s comments delighted Democrats.
Progressive commentator Glenn Greenwald noted that Democrats are delighted because they want the War on Terror apparatus refocused on their political enemies.
Liberals Cheered George Bush’s 9/11 Speech Because They Want a Domestic War on Terrorhttps://t.co/hlgBcBpwne
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 13, 2021
The view that Trump was somehow worse than Bush/Cheney is one held by the vast majority of corporate media employees and by prominent liberals, which is why they are allies with and employ the leading lights of Bush/Cheney war criminality while demanding Trump aides be shunned. https://t.co/N65dJ0KwyD
— Glenn Greenwald (@ggreenwald) September 13, 2021
Jon Cooper, a political operative who worked for Obama and Biden, approved of Bush’s comparison.
George W. Bush was entirely correct in his comments marking the 20th anniversary of 9/11 on Saturday when he drew a comparison between the 9/11 attackers and those who waged the January 6 act of “domestic terrorism.”https://t.co/3QFXsh3lJP
— Jon Cooper ?? (@joncoopertweets) September 13, 2021
Twitter was filled with comments from fans of the left like this one:
“There is little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home…they are the children of the same foul spirit.”
Is the #GQP ready to distance itself for one its favorite sons⁉️He IS right‼️#January6th #DemVoice1 https://t.co/ZCBz4zu7pb
— Crone-a-riffic & Vaccinated! (@CroneRiffic) September 12, 2021
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