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thankful i was that he was not born on 9/11 because for me, i remember that morning on september 14th going to ground zero with president bush, i was having a hard time as a reporter holding it together, hearing the stories of the trauma and the heartbreak, just as a reporter washes overwhelming to me. let alone having been a parent at that time. so we all have these touch points of where were we when and where were we in our lives. and what strikes me is that we weren't our very best for long enough. >> when you think back to the 14th, what do you remember about the mood and the feel that bush absolutely, brilliantly, picked up on and gave strength to a collective but what do you remember seeing and feeling from those first responders mostly
lot of governors on the right, quickly, promising legal challenges to biden's new vaccine mandate plan. the president today said they can, quote, have at it. not a one of them have even read it. hasn't even been written. that's because osha hasn't even put it together, yet. osha's going to be key because for all that fear being stoked about the government forcing people to get a shot, what we are talking about would likely be workplace safety fines. they all say they want more people to get vaccinated. the question is, well, what else can we do? let's discuss with scott jennings. good to see you, brother. >> hey, chris. >> so, nobody really likes the idea of the government telling us to do anything. um -- but, telling us to take vaccines -- polio, smallpox, mumps, measles, rubella.
not? >> yes, i think we are. i mean, i really identify with so much of what you said. and i think what struck me is how short lived the best of ourselves were back then. that period where we came together because when you face an external threat to who we are, we were reminded of who we are. and the best of ourselves. and i think president bush at the time captured the sense of vulnerability and also the resolve and the bull horn moment when i was, you know, 20 yards from him when he had that bull horn on september 14th, and that was the spontaneous moment in front of that crowd, he reflected that moment so well. but 20 years later, i'm just reminded of how short lived that sense of togetherness was. i mean, i have all the same stories.
aftermath. now, remember, president bush wasn't exactly the poster boy of popularity leading up to that time. but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wasn't behind the words that came out of that bull horn. things were put aside because we saw what mattered. many americans enrolled in the military, donors overwhelmed blood banks. people gave money, money they didn't have to give. people wanted to help whoever however. it was a run on u.s. flags and stores all across the country. they were flying off the shelves. god bless america almost replaced the national anthem. and we didn't get it all right. bush, our other leaders, they made bad moves. there was anger. but the infighting was much less and there were many more willing to bridge any divide. we were full of americans not about politics but people,
collective but what do you remember seeing and feeling from those first responders mostly who are down there? >> well, i remember coming around the corner so we had flown up to new jersey to fort dix and we switched into helicopters, marine one, and we flew. we got a ground tour of ground zero. it was still, i mean, first responders who were down there but i remember coming around a corner and being so overwhelmed at this jagged shard of lattice work that was one of the towers that was sticking up almost like a fossil out of the ground, out of the smokey remains of the site. i was literally blown away emotionally by that and i was right behind bush as he was seeing this for the first time. and being struck by the weight of that moment, right, there was that kind of, the weight, you're a leader. you have to empathize with this
because when you come at one, you come at all, and the president got that right that time. >> i can hear you. [ cheers and applause ] i can hear you. the rest of the world hears you. and the people -- [ cheers and applause ] -- and the people who knocked these buildings down will hear all of us soon. [ cheers and applause ] u.s.a.! u.s.a.! u.s.a.! >> when is the last time you heard chants of u.s.a.? hard times. big, strong people. and we were so strong in the aftermath. now, remember, president bush wasn't exactly the poster boy of popularity leading up to that time.
you know, my first child was not born until 2002 and i remember thinking, looking back, how thankful i was that he was not born on 9/11 because for me, i remember that morning on september 14th going to ground zero with president bush, i was having a hard time as a reporter holding it together hearing the stories of the trauma and the heart break. just as a reporter was overwhelming to me let alone having been a parent at that time. so we all have these touch points of where were we when and where were we in our lives. and what strikes me is that we weren't our very best for long enough. >> when you think back to the 14th, what do you remember about the mood and the feel that bush absolutely, brilliantly, picked up on and gave strength to a
who were down there? >> well, i remember coming around the corner so we had flown up to new jersey to fort dix and we switched into helicopters, marine one, and we flew. we got a ground tour of ground zero. it was still, i mean, first responders who were down there but i remember coming around a corner and being so overwhelmed at this jagged shard of latticework that was one of the towers that was sticking up almost like a fossil out of the ground, out of the smoky remains of the site. i was literally blown away emotionally by that and i was right behind bush as he was seeing this for the first time. and being struck by the weight of that moment, right, there was that kind of, the weight, you're a leader. you have to empathize with this moment. you have to reflect the resolve of the country. and also trying to figure out, what do i do? he knew this would define his presidency. he was an untested leader.
but you'd be hard pressed to find someone who wasn't behind the words that came out of that bullhorn. things were put aside because we saw what mattered. many americans enrolled in the military, donors overwhelmed blood banks. people gave money, money they didn't have to give. people wanted to help whoever, however. it was a run on u.s. flags and stores all across the country. they were flying off the shelves. god bless america almost replaced the national anthem. and we didn't get it all right. bush, our other leaders, they made bad moves. there was anger. but the infighting was much less and there were many more willing to bridge any divide. we were full of americans, not about politics but people, country, cause. 9/11 completely changed so many, including me.
emblem of, are you kind of behind watt administration is doing? and the bush administration knew that. so it was a mixed kind of message and a lot of people in the media stood down from that. >> just then in the aftermath, the republicans were obviously in control and they asked americans to give up real freedoms. you know? that is when we started getting searched at the airports and of course the patriot act that was overreach in some ways, but people did it because of a collective cause. now taking a vaccine is too much for them. anyway, i appreciate the perspective. well delivered as expected. my brother david gregory, thank you for joining me. >> thanks, pal. >> david gregory. he'll never forget. now i mentioned the first responders in there. because they were an early sign of what david is talking about that, yeah, we come together in a crisis, but do we stay together? why do our first responders, all right, who we say are our