George W. Bush Compares January 6 Rioters To 9/11 Terrorists At Memorial Event, Angers Conservatives

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.

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: ‘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.”

Conservative activist group ACT for America tweeted, “There is no comparison between 9/11/2001 & 1/6/2021. George W Bush is an imbecile.”

“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.

“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.” 

“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.

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.

Jon Cooper, a political operative who worked for Obama and Biden, approved of Bush’s comparison.

Twitter was filled with comments from fans of the left like this one: