Specifically some people in his own party refusing to stAnd up And do what is right when it comes to the facts And truth of things that happened in this country. I remember well covering the White House in those days. Even most democrats would tell you, in the immediate days after 9 11, the president of the united states, who happened to be a republican, he was the president of the united states, was Pitch Perfect. Now, 20 years later, many democrats wont listen to george w. Bush because of the Iraq War And the political polarization of that. Trump republicans wont listen to george w. Bush because Donald Trump spent so much time essentially trying to wipe out And criticize And undermine the Bush Establishment of the republican party. I hope all americans, in some ways, this is not a day for politics, in other ways, you just had a former president deliver the speech, so there is it is before you. I come here without explanation or solutions. Not trying to lecture but talking about those days. Americans, we didnt care after 9 11. Nobody cared if you were a democrat or republican. Americans did hold hAnds. The people in the community, ive been there many times. Shanksville is a special day. I dont know if theyre democrats or pp srepublicans. I know the comfort they gave to families whose Family Members were vaporized on the hillside. They didnt have a place to stay or eat. That was o a horrific time in america. The former president is right, it was also a special time. It is naive to think any of us can analyze the speech And, bam, well get back to it, but this is the reason you do celebrate, mark, commemorate big anniversaries, so everybody stops And thinks. Maybe everybody can stop And think. The president says this is not mere nostalgia. Hes right. Hes right. On big issues, big questions, we have a pAndemic now in front of us, on big issues And questions, americans should be able to say, im putting that in the drawer. Lets have a conversation as friends And neighbors. Again, its naive to think thats going to wipe away, but i hope everybody, regardless of your party, listens to that. And those old enough, you remember those days. The Iraq War damaged it, but he was Pitch Perfect immediately after, talking about how america is remarkable because of the rAndom people who did an exceptional, rAndom thing. 9 11, youre thinking what it was like that day, the threat, And you look at what the threat is now. Thats what so many people think about. Its what the Dhs Secretary was talking about on cnn earlier. And what President Bush was saying there about domestic terrorism which, of course, weve seen so many warnings about that. Hold on for a moment. The Vice President of the united states is speaking. President bush, it is my honor to be on the stage with you, And mrs. Laura bush. Thank you, President Bush, for your words. Theyre as resonant today as the words you spoke 20 years ago. Governor tom wolf, superintendent steven clark, madame secretary, And the president of the families of Flight 93, gordon felt, it is truly an honor to be with all of you at this field of honor. We are adjourned today, of course, by the family And friends of the 40 passengers And crew members of Flight 93. And we stAnd today with all those who lost someone on September 11th, 2001. And in the aftermath of the attacks. So many in our nation, too many in our nation, have deeply felt the passage of time these last 20 years. Every birthday your loved one missed, every holiday, every time her favorite team won or his favorite song came on the radio. Every time youve tucked in your children or dropped them off at college, you have felt, every day, every week, And every year that has passed these 20 years. So please know your nation sees you, And we stAnd with you. We support you. We are gathered today on hallowed ground. At this place that has been sanctified by sacrifice, to honor the heroism that the 40 passengers And crew members showed in the face of grave terrorism. I remember when i first learned about what happened on that fateful flight. What happened on Flight 93 told us then, And it still tells us, so much about the courage of those On Board who gave everything they possibly could. About the resolve of the first responders who risked everything. And about the resilience of the american people. On this 20th Anniversary, on this solemn day of remembrance, we must challenge ourselves, yes, to look back, to remember, for the sake of our children, for the sake of their children, an And, for that reason, we must also look forward. We must also look toward the future. Because in the end, i do believe that is what the 40 were fighting for. Their future And ours. On the days that followed September 11th, 2001, we were all reminded that unity is possible in america. We were reminded, also, that unity is imperative in america. It is essential to our shared prosperity, to our national security, And to our stAnding in the world. And by unity, i dont mean uniformity. We had differences of opinion in 2001 as we do in 2021. And i believe that in america, our diversity is our strength. At the same time, we saw after 9 11 how fear can be used to sow division in our nation. Sikh And Muz Lick Slim American targeted because of how they looked or what they believed. We also saw so many americans in the spirit of our nation stAnd in solidarity with all people And their fellow more than, with those who experience violence And discrimination, when we stAnd together. And looking back, we remember. The vast majority of americans were unified in purpose. To help families heal. To help communities recover. To defend our nation And to keep us safe. In a time of outright terror, we turned toward each other. In the face of a stranger, we saw a nayeighbor And a friend. That time reminded us the significance And the strength of our unity as americans. And that it is possible in america. So moments from now we will leave this hallowed place, still carrying with us the pain of this loss, this tremendous loss, And still the future will continue to unfold. We will face new challenges, challenges that we could not have seen 20 years ago. We will seize opportunities that were, at one time, unimaginable. And we know that what lies ahead is not certain. It is never certain. It has never been. But i know this. If we do the hard work of working together as americans, if we remain united in purpose, we will be prepared for whatever comes next. The 40 passengers And crew members of Flight 93, as we all know, they didnt know each other. Most of them didnt know each other. They were different people from different places. They were on that particular flight for different reasons. But they did not focus on what may separate us. No. They kfocused on what we all share. On the humanity we all share. In a matter of minutes, in the most dire of circumstances, the 40 responded as one. They fought for their own lives And to save the lives of countless others at our nations capitol. After today, it is my And-prayer'>Hope And Prayer that we continue to honor their courage, their conviction, with our own, that we honor their unity by strengthening our common bonds. By strengthening our global partnerships. And by always living out our highest ideals. This work will not be easy. It never has been. And it will take All Of Us believing in who we are as a nation. And it will take All Of Us going forth to work together. Thank you all. May god bless you And may god bless america. Thank you. [ applause ] Vice President Kamala Harris also delivering a very powerful, moving, And once again, very timely address. Lets discuss this important day with the secretary of defense, lloyd austin. Mr. Secretary, thank you so much for joining us. I know this is a very moving, emotional day for you, as it is for all the And-women'>Men And Women of the u. S. Military. Youre a retired fourstar general. Whats it like going through this Day Today . Wolf, today is about remembering. Its about reminding the survivors, Family Members, that they will always be a part of our team, always be a part of our family, And that we wont forget the service And the sacrifices of their Loved Ones. You know, i think about the fact that the events that happened on that day put us on a path to war, a war that i fought in at one tour in afghanistan, three tours in iraq, three long tours. And so i know firsthAnd the sacrifices that families make on a routine basis. Its about, you know, reuniting with those who lost Loved Ones. Its about reminding them of the fact that we care, that they will be a part of our family forever. I think thats really, really important, wolf. 20 years ago today, i believe you were a onestar general. I was. Tell us what you remember about that day. Where you were And how you felt when you got the news. So i was sitting in my office at the headquarters at third Infantry Division where i was a Ander'>Deputy CommAnder for maneuver. Fort stewart, georgia . Fort stewart, georgia, yeah. And i had the news on, so i was watching conducting an interview with someone. The news was kind of playing in the background, And i was watching this airplane as it crashed into one of the towers there, the second airplane. Then things began to change. You know, we suddenly realized that this was we were under attack. So there were a number of things that happened subsequently. Youll recall back in those days, we had open bases And installations. We you know, our footprint, our Security Status changed almost immediately. Overnight, Wrp E were facing a different world. It changed not only the united states but the entire world, wolf. What is your message to the Loved Ones who lost Family Members on this day 20 years ago . Were with you. We will be there for you. You are a part of our family. We mourn your loss along with you. Again, well always be here for you. You know, we saw so much courage on that day, in New York, shanksville, here at the pentagon on that day. It inspired so many americans to go out And commit themselves to the military, to public service, to do good deeds as a result of what they saw. You saw that, as well. We did. We did. Its fascinating to me that if you look across all our services, weve had ups And downs in terms of numbers of enlistments, its been fairly steady. Young people have continued to sign up to support their country And to defend their country. Whats sad the o me, And im sure for you, as well, 20 years ago today, the taliban was in control of afghanistan. We went to war, spent 20 years there, lost thousAnds, spent trillions. 20 years later, the taliban is still once again in control of afghanistan. When you think about that, what goes through your mind . Well, i think theres some things to remember, important things to remember, wolf. First of all, we went there to go after the people who attacked america And to hold them accountable. We held Bin Laden accountable. We significantly degraded the Al Qaeda network. I would point to you the fact that no one has attacked the united states, And especially from that region, in 20 years. Thats not an accident. Thats the work of great professionals that are working together to make sure that theyre Tracking Threat streams And sharing information with each other. Thats a significant accomplishment. My goal, wolf, is to make sure that it doesnt happen in the future. That we stay focused on threats. Keep a Laser Focus on the threats And make sure that we maintain the capability to a address those threats when And where required. But you said it becomes more difficult now that the u. S. No longer has a Ground Presence in afghanistan. Difficult but not impossible, wolf. As you know, because you track these things around the world, we maintain the ability to reach out And touch any place on the planet that we want to. We do that on a routine basis. Youve seen us conduct strikes in a number of places without having people on the ground. Youre talking about over the horizon activity. Exactly. Were going to see more of that, do you think . Well, well maintain we have robust capability in the region, And if required, well employ that capability. Well continue to ensure that we build upon the capability that we already have but, yeah, if required, yes. As you know, the And-women'>Men And Women who have served in the military over these past 20 years, whether in afghanistan or iraq, theyre going through some difficult emotions right now. Some of them are pretty confused, wondering, did we do the right thing . Should we have done what we did . Whats your message to them . My message is that we know that some will have a tough time working their way through this, but each person had to work their way through this on an individual basis. I think we have to give them space, the space to do that. I think we should also remind our troops And our civilians that if they need help, dont be afraid to reach out And get that help. So itll take time to work through this, but, you know, its to be expected, that youll hear opinions from all sides of the conversation. Thats okay. Thats who we are. Thats america. How did 9 11 change u. S. Alliances with nato And other partners . Well, we saw nato, you know, come in to afghanistan in a major way as one of our allies because we were part of the alliance. That alliance, i think, has remained strong throughout. Our goal is to continue to strengthen it. As you know, some of the nato allies were deeply disappointed, not that the war is over, everybody wanted the war to be over, everybody wanted to get out of afghanistan, but the way it ended. Yes, 125,000 people got out, but theres still thousAnds left who would like to come here. What weve told our allies And what we tell our own people is that well continue to work together to get as many people out that desire to come out going forward. This is not over. Our efforts to help the people who have helped us are not over. Theres still americans left in afghanistan, too. Like you were saying, youre going to try to get them all out . Youve seen most recently, wolf, a Couple Plane loads of american citizens that left af afghanistan. Are we going to see more of that . I hope. The State Department is working hard to make sure that happens. You were just there in doha, qatar, working on this issue. Tell us what you found out. Well, the enormously helpful in evacuating 124,000 people, which is historic. Any my mind, the youngsters who were a part of this did heroic work. My goal was to And what i accomplished was to thank the qataris for the tremendous help, the partnership that they continue to provide us. Its really, really strong. A lot of people dont know that the u. S. Has a very significant Military Presence at the Air Base in qatar. Its a major u. S. Military facility. Yeah. Youve been there, wolf. Ive been there, yeah. Spent quality time there. You know thats where we use our capabilities there to support a range of activities throughout the region. Bottom line, because i know you have to run, is the united states safer today than it was 20 years ago . Wolf, i think if you look at the fact that our capabilities are greatly increased from what we had 20 years ago, if you look at the fact that the way that we operate in the Inner Agency is far beyond what we would have ever imagined 20 years ago, i think we are safer all together, yes. But your biggest fear is what . Well, my biggest concern is that, you know, someone will try to export terror to the united states again. But my goal, my job, wolf, as you well know, is to defend this country. I take that very, very seriously. Were going to stay focused on that. Whether its a threat from a transnational terrorist, whether its a threat from, you know, somewhere else, a near peer competitor, our job is to make sure that we keep the homelAnd safe And we protect our interests around the globe. Mr. Secretary, good luck. Thanks so much, especially on this really important day, for joining us. Thank you, wolf. Appreciate it very much. Jake, the secretary of defense, lloyd austin. All right. Thank you so much, wolf. One of the many first responders who was killed trying to save lives on that horrible day 20 years ago was Fire Department of new York Fdny Lieutenant Joseph Gerard levy. He was 45 years old. He was last heard on a Radio Transmission from the 78th Floor in the south tower. His daughter, kate levy, was only 10 years old at the time. She is with us now. Kate, thanks so much for joining us. It is good to see you again. Thank you for having me. Lets show the photo of you And your dad again. This is from when you were in kindergarten. What was he like as a dad in. My dad was the embodiment of bringing light into the darkness. He was the mr. Mom. He was a kid at heart. Always blarought so much joy to us. My favorite memory of him is going to the supermarket. Itd be an hour And a Half Trip because hed be talking to everyone, asking how everyone was doing. He loved his family, loved the firehouse, calling it his second home. As a family, wed go to the Battery Park And rollerblade, visit the firehouse And say hello to everyone. Yeah, he was he just brought so much joy. Sounds like a wonderful guy. Yeah. You came here, you were just at the engine 4 ladder 15 firehouse an south street, off the fdr where your dad worked. What was that like, going there . Yeah. The firehouse is a special place for me. Its just like how he talked about the firehouse as did you go there a lot when you were a Kid Or i did. We used to go there a lot. He called new York City his playground. H hed love taking us by the firehouse. Loved introducing us to everyone. Showing us everything that he would do as a fireman. To this day, im very close to the firehouse, And i visit them, delivering cookies, ill say hello. Going there on the anniversary every year, it feels like home for me. It is very comforting. Having my family with me, as well, its just a beautiful way for us to honor our dad. Going through that at age 10, i cant even imagine the pain. Now youre 20 years older, And you have a better understAnding of the incredible And-selflessness'>Courage And Selflessness that it must have taken your father And all the other first responders that day. Does that help, knowing that . Yeah. I mean, i when i listen to my Dads Voice on the tapes, there was just so much calm And collectiveness. It just remine reminded me of T Leader And the person that he was. The bravery And the courage. Just knowing that he was running into those buildings to save others And bringing all those And-women'>Men And Women home to their families. Just knowing how much of a Family Man he was And what that meant to him. Running into the tower when everyone was running out just, that was the guy my dad was. Without question, he saved countless lives that day. Have you had an opportunity to have any of the people who got out of the building safely, have you met any of them, anybody who might remember your dad . So i volunteer with the 9 11 memorial museum. We started the visionary network, which is a way for us to educate the next generation. At one of their benefits a couple years ago, i was speaking sorry, i spoke a couple years ago. I went back as a guest. My mom And i were there, And someone got up And was speaking about how he was on the 78th Floor of the south tower. He remembers the firefighters bringing him down to safety. I just looked at my mom, And we both got chills. Later that evening, we got to meet him. That was just a special moment. Every time i hear of someone in the south tower, by the 70th floor, i know its a gift of my dad wanting me to meet them. I just know that he was there. Its beautiful. Youve been part of i mean, thats an unbelievable story. I got chills. I cant imagine what it was like for you And your mom. And youre part of a group, And this is how i met you, called tuesdays children. Yes. Its the children of the people who were lost that day. Especially first responders. Tell me, because im sure there are people at home who want to know how to do something, they want to help. What has tuesdays children meant to you . How has that helped you And others like you get to this moment, where its 20 years later And you seem fantastic. So tuesdays children was such an important part of my Healing Process because they brought together All Of Us, you know, who had lost a parent. The ability for me to talk that someone else, have that sense of community, And their sense of support, as well. Their programming not only brought us together for different events but, you know, they also engaged us in acts of service. That was a way that i always want to honor my dad. Its the man he was. Carrying on his legacy. One of my favorite memories with tuesdays children was going to New Orleans with Habitat For Humanity after hurricane katrina. This whole idea of helping heals. You know you were 15 at the time, right . Something like that. Yeah, yeah. I remember, it was so cool, because, you know, i had heard about Habitat For Humanity. There was a bunch of 15yearolds building a house, having a hammer And needing not only that, but being able to meet the people of New Orleans. Just seeing how theres so much healing of, you know, people of different tragedies. Being able to share your story And its just beautiful. I mean, i think Thats Something that i always try to take away, that, you know, 9 11 was a dark day. There was so much hurt. But out of it, there was a lot of beauty. The way in which people came together. Not only the people who lost that day but the people who survived And who carry on their stories, especially those people who are living with the illnesses, especially thinking about all the people who lost their lives, you know, afterwards in afghanistan. I just think its you know, theres a way of kind of carrying on all those, you know, who have passed away, And remembering the people they are. Doing a good deed in their honor. Well, youre an incredible memorial to your father, to joe leavey. Cait leavey, ill see you tonight at the shine a Light Celebration at 9 00 tonight on cnn. Thank you for being here. Thank you so much. Coming up, President Biden is going to deliver the memorial in shanksville, pennsylvania. Also, actor Robert De Niro will join us live to talk about how far new York City has come. This is cnns special live coverage. Stay with us. judith in this market, Youll Find Fisher investments is different than other Money Managers. other Money Manager different how . 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He is a Founding Trustee of the 9 11 museum. He has been extensively involved in congremmemorating those lost decades. Mr. De niro, you will be taking a part in the shine a light special tonight. You ap appeared at the concertsr new York City days afterwards. Youve been the face of the recovery of New York. Why has this been so important to you . Well, im a New Yorker through And through. It seems like the logical thing that i should do. To whatever extent it can be of help. You lived just nine blocks from Ground Zero on that horrible day. Yeah. Im wondering what memories you have, what youre thinking about today. Well, im thinking that time went by And so many things have happened to us all since then And now. Its an emotional time, remembering specific things that happened. Its just that i hope that people remember for time to come that things like this can be avoided through diplomacy, through whatever. I know thats easier said than done, but we really this is an awful nightmarish incident. All the people there today talking about their Loved Ones. We have to find a way to move forward as far as the animosity, to say it mildly, toward each other, cultures, And so on, what were going through today in this country. We have to find a way to stop the, i dont know a better way of saying the fighting. Having things like this happen. It just makes no sense. Youve also been very active in helping to bring back businesses And economic prosperity to Lower Manhattan in the aftermath of that horrible day. People might forget that it wasnt just a matter of the horrific terrorist attack. It was the aftermath, the economic emptiness, the void. Part of that effort by you included the Tribeca Film festival, of course. How do you think New York has changed since the attacks 20 years on as a city . Well, from my perspective, i dont know. There could be other feelings about it. I think it comes back because New York, in my opinion, will always come back. Its a tough city, And the people here are resilient. Well just come back, And we are coming back. Things time moves on. Its just the terrible things that happen before And in between that we miss we didnt have to have. Didnt have to have, period. Its changed. Its come back. The neighborhood, downtown, tribeca has come back. Now we have the pAndemic. Thats another horrible situation. But well get through that, too. Its just all the loss of And-sadness'>Life And Sadness And unhappiness in between. This year is obviously a impossible its obviously yeah. No, absolutely. Sorry . This is the 20th Anniversary. This is the 20th Anniversary. Sorry about the delay. So disconcerting And unusual, i think, for older folks like you And me to see this new generation of, you know, brave first responders, police officers, firemen, firewomen. Yeah. Marines who have no memory of 9 11. None. They were either kids or not even born. Yeah. What do you hope the memorials that youre involved with will teach the next generation . That this could happen again. Unfortunately, kids have to be reminded. Of course, one of the most horrible of them all was the holocaust And what preceded it, how it was allowed to grow And become a malignant cancer. That can happen again. We dont want that. No one wants that kind of thing to happen again. Kids have to be reminded in school, what happens historically can happen again very easily. It happens in another form, but its the same disease. That, to me, is the most important thing of 9 11. A reminder. Because 20 years is really not much time in the grAnd scheme of things. That to me is the important thing. Reminders in school, that it happens, why it happens, And people start thinking they have a right to do these types of things. For whatever their cause is. Thats the thing that concerns me the most. Then history repeats itself. We dont want this kind of history to repeat itself. Absolutely not. Robert de niro, thank you for joining us. You can join us tonight for a special tribute to the families of September 11th. Shine a light begins at 8 00 p. M. Eastern, only here on cnn. Up next, President Biden will visit the memorial in shanksville, pennsylvania. Country Star Alan Jackson will join us to talk about the timeless song he wrote after the 9 11 attacks. This is cnns special live coverage. Stay with us. For people who could use a lift new neutrogena® rapid firming. A Triplelift Serum with pure collagen. 92 saw visibly firmer skin in just 4 weeks. Neutrogena® for people with skin. Subway® has so much new they couldnt fit it in their last ad. Like new smashed avocado And artisan italian bread. 100 Wildcaught Tuna. 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Im Wolf Blitzer live at the pentagon as we continue our special coverage of September 11th. Back with dana bash, john king, And kaitlin collins. A decade ago, john, you were in shanksville. You had a chance to interview now president Joe Biden. Let me play a little clip, then well discuss. Literally, you know, i used to commute every day. I got in the train. I was leaving. I took the early train. My wife was leaving the school to teach school. Called me on my cell just around aberdeen, marylAnd. Just before baltimore. Said, joe, my god. My god, joe. A plane just flew right into the world trade tower. What do you think that means . I said, honey, i i dont know. She said, i have to get ready. She called back in a few minutes, oh, my god, joe. Oh, my god. Theres a plane, its running oh, my god. It ran right into the second tower. I said, honey, this is a big problem. This sounds coordinated. With that, by that time, other people started getting calls on the train. We went into the baltimore tunnel, so you lose the coverage as you go into the tunnel there. By the time i came out, there was i had everybody on the train. Senator, whats going on . What happened . I said, im not sure. We were all listening, making calls. I got off the train, i walked out of union station. I could see off to, in my case, my 1 00, this plume of smoke. It was the pentagon. Everybody is saying, it is a car bomb. It is a truck bomb. No one knew what it was. Then we got up, And everybody had been evacuated from my office. I went in to make sure everybody was out. We were stAnding out there in that park alongside the russell office building. I said, we ought to go back into the senate. I mean, i dont think it looks good, us levbelieving the Senat Someone said, report of an incoming aircraft. You have to get out of here. It was just, you know, it was almost unbelievable. You know, you can appreciate, thats why i said of President Bush today, imagine being president. Having that news given to you And having to react And trying to compute all this And figure exactly where to go. I mean, i thought the way he hAndled events from that moment until we took down the taliban was textbook. Its amazing how All Of Us of a certain age, we remember everything about that date 20 years ago. At the very end, hes talking about how he thought President Bush was textbook until we kicked out the taliban. Now, theyre back in power. But he is the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee. Yet, he was, like millions of americans that day, on his way to work. He took the train. The amtrak every day. His wife calls him the first time, something is going on. The second plane hits. Wife calls him, oh, no, this is not an accident. This is something big And real. Then what is happening . Again, even the chairman of the senate foreign relations committee, on a train, spotty cell phone service, into the tunnel. It just reminds you of the scramble of that day. Even the people at the highest levels of our government were trying to find out what the hell is going on. To the point at the end, he tried to get back to the senate. We talked about this a little earlier. He, one of many in the congress, And President Bush on the other end, executive end of government, knew amid the horror, amid the terror, And the response to it, it was important as soon as possible to try to show some signals of continuity of government. He wanted to get back in. Told him he could not. It was hours later when they came back to the steps. The instincts, dana spoke earlier of senator byrd. President bush was fighting his national Security Adviser to get back to the White House. Officials in both legislative And Executive Branch wanted to send the Message America has taken a horrible Punch But America is still stAnding. Interesting, you cover President Biden. He wanted to get out of afghanistan a long, long time ago, when he was Vice President during the obama administration. Didnt succeed. I think thats so much of what fed into the decision he made as president. It was clear since he was elected And beat former President Trump this was a decision he was likely headed in the direction of. Of course, he spent months, they did an assessment when he first got in office what to do about the deadline set by former President Trump. Of course, that deal he struck with the taliban. So much when you talk to advisers during the chaotic withdrawal about what was happening, they said this is a decision he advocated for every year when he was Vice President. An argument he made, argument he didnt win ultimately with fo former President Obama. They said it was clear when he got in office, that was the decision he was going to make. To hear what he said ten years ago to john, imagine what it was like that day to be president of the united states. Now he is president of the united states. God forbid that wont be an experience any president will have to deal with. There were so many things that were changed from couldnt knew tee of government to make sure that doesnt happen. It is remarkable to hear him say that at that time rks given he was the president that decided no more. He was determined to get all u. S. Troops out. Originally the Trump Deadline was may 1st. He said all u. S. Troops will be out by September 11 And changed it to august 31st. He wanted them out, irrespective what was going to be on the ground. To that point, he very much wanted to be out by 20th Anniversary of 9 11, even back then, that was ten years ago today. I remember having a conversation with him about afghanistan. He said hopefully it wont be too much longer. He hoped this would happen when he was Vice President , when Barack Obama was in the White House, but we have george w. Bush, Barack Obama, Donald Trump, And now Joe Biden ending the longest war. There will be conversations about that for weeks And months, the Secretary Of State will be on capitol hill, the president promised an orderly exit, there will be big debate about that. But then a senate leader, now this is his portfolio, all of his questions. Accountability for everything that happened every day as president , whether it is withdrawal from Afghanistan Or Coronavirus pAndemic, it is now his inbox And his president ial daily brief he gets every day that includes what President Bush would tell you, President Obama would tell you after, i remember extensive conversations with then Vice President cheney about this, dark things a president And Vice President And people that have access to the information have to read every day. Theyre different now than 20 years ago. In some ways, the issue is the same. One of the clearest things we got a look at during the afghanistan withdrawal, his view of foreign policy. As i was saying, this shaped how everyone views foreign policy, the Lens Americans view it through. He made that clear defending withdrawal, talking about how it was being executed, he made very clear he doesnt think Nation Building works. Something Past President s have tried And agreed with him on, have never been able to follow through stopping that. He does not feel that works. You have a clear view of the president s foreign Policy Doctrine when he was speaking about that, what he wants it to look like going forward. That could potentially reshape it years to come. Could potentially change. We remember george w. Bush, Governor George W. Bush campaigning against al gore, promising there would be no Nation Building. And then he became the 9 11 president And suddenly he was the leader of a country that was not only trying to push the taliban out but Nation Building, trying to build a democracy, trying for 20 years to the point where his successor, four president s later, Joe Biden was so sure before america pulled out that they were a strong enough democracy to hold on, he said a month earlier that the military, that the afghan military that america spent 20 Years Training would be okay And it wasnt. He is heading to shanksville. I want to take a quick break. Very quickly, were not going to hear directly from him, he is not going to speak. They issued this video yesterday. Any explanation why we wont hear his thoughts on this special day . My understAnding, the president decided to release that video And to yield to President Bush And his Vice President to speak. He did speak ten years ago. We saw a picture, we were walking on the hillside, grass had grown back. He talked at great length about the heroes that died there And the scarred earth, how they were vaporized when the plane crashed. The point why he decided not to speak today. The Vice President spoke of course as he did, then the White House said essentially they wanted him to let each of the commemorations speak for themselves And that they didnt think it was a natural fit to have the president speak. They wanted him to go, he wanted to go to all three locations of the attacks of course, but they wanted to let those moments at those locations be what spoke for what happened. Our special coverage continues after this quick break. I got it, you got it i want it, you want it when i want it, youve got it when you want it, i got it, i got it, yeah when they want it we got it, yeah some days, you just dont have it. Not my uncle, though. Hes Taking Trulicity for his Type 2 Diabetes And now, hes really on his game. 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For people who could use a lift new neutrogena® rapid firming. A Triplelift Serum with pure collagen. 92 saw visibly firmer skin in just 4 weeks. Neutrogena® for people with skin. Welcome back to cnn special coverage on this 20th Anniversary of the horrific Terrorist Attacks on September 11th, 2001, a day that changed the united states And much of the world forever. I am Jake Tapper live in