What Did We Learn From 9/11?

This month marks the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001. It was easily the most horrific day of my life as I tried to process what was unfolding from my office in Washington, D.C.

My morning began like any other. I arrived early, turned on the office television to CNBC to check the financial markets, and worked in quiet solitude before the rest of the staff arrived. I was mostly listening to the background noise rather than watching closely. But when news broke that an accident or attack had occurred at the World Trade Center in New York City, my attention shifted immediately to the screen.

Anyone who lived through that morning remembers the overwhelming confusion across every news network. No one knew precisely what had happened, only that something massive and terrible had taken place. Initial reports showed smoke and fire pouring from the North Tower, but the public did not yet know that a commercial passenger jet had been flown directly into the building.

Chaos erupted on the streets of Manhattan. Roughly 17 minutes later, a second airliner struck the South Tower, eliminating any doubt that America was under deliberate attack. I vividly recall watching horrific scenes unfold live on television, including individuals jumping from the upper floors to escape the flames. While the casualty counts on the aircraft were known fairly quickly, the total loss of life within the towers was impossible to fathom in those initial hours.

The tragedy did not end in New York. A third airliner struck the Pentagon just miles from where I sat, causing extensive damage and loss of life. Shortly after, a fourth hijacked plane crashed into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania—saved from hitting its intended target in Washington, D.C., only by the extraordinary bravery of the passengers on board. By the end of the day, thousands of innocent American lives had been lost in a meticulously planned, calculated attack on U.S. soil.

In the harrowing days that followed, however, we witnessed a profound national resilience. Americans united like never before in my lifetime, coming together to support one another, honor the victims, and stand firm against terrorism. The nation made it clear that it would not be broken. American flags flew everywhere, and patriotism, which had seemingly waned, began a remarkable resurgence.

That single morning changed our country forever. National security transformed almost overnight. Airport screening became dramatically tighter, turning air travel into a longer and more complex process. Government facilities, corporate offices, and public infrastructure instituted strict identification protocols and heightened physical protection. While these measures brought daily inconveniences, the public adapted to them as the new normal.

Beyond the physical security changes, the financial and emotional toll of 9/11 rippled across generations. America eventually found its footing and rebuilt from those dark days, demonstrating remarkable strength. Yet, looking back a quarter-century later, it is difficult not to feel that we have lost a portion of what sustained us in the aftermath.

Today, an entire generation of young adults has grown up with no living memory of September 11, knowing the event only through history books and classroom instruction. While annual memorial ceremonies mark the anniversary across the nation, the profound sense of shared national purpose that emerged from the tragedy seems to fade further into history each year.

Perhaps the most troubling shift over the last 25 years is how our national spirit has evolved. The remarkable unity that defined the months following 9/11 has gradually given way to a deeply divided political landscape. From the days of New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani and President George W. Bush serving as symbols of that national unity, we have suffered through presidents whose own agendas trumped America’s interests, leaving us with protests against this country that rival those of the Vietnam War, bitter partisanship, vitriol, rampant conspiracy theories, and strained relationships with former allies.

Looking back on that tragic day reminds us not only of what we lost, but also of what we are capable of achieving when we stand together as one nation.