George W. Bush shares painting of moment he learned of 9/11 attack

Former President George W. Bush shared images Friday of several paintings he created to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

Bush, who was president on the tragic day, posted to social media his rendering of the moment his White House chief of staff, Andrew Card, notified him that the World Trade Center’s second tower had been hit and that “America is under attack.”

The artwork depicts Card leaning in to whisper the news to the president, who was participating in a lesson with children at an elementary school in Florida at the time. Bush wears a stunned expression in the image.

The piece is part of a larger exhibition of artwork the president created to mark the 25th anniversary of the day. The art will be on display at the George W. Bush Presidential Center in Dallas for the rest of the month.

“Twenty-five years ago, the actions of an enemy revealed the spirit of the American people,” Bush wrote on social media alongside images of the artwork.

“May we always honor the precious lives stolen, and may God bless America,” he added.

Other images included in the exhibit depict the plumes of smoke that rose from the New York City skyline after the towers were hit, the police badge of an officer killed in the attack and a giant American flag draped over the side of a building.

During a conversation at his presidential center with former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice earlier this week, Bush reflected on the day he “became a wartime president.”

“There was no doubt in my mind that this was not a law enforcement event; this was a war,” Bush said. “And that the job of the president and the country and his team is to rally the nation to do what’s necessary to protect our people.”

Bush and all other former living U.S. presidents attended a memorial service at Ground Zero in New York City on Friday. President Trump spoke at a Pentagon ceremony Friday marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks.