Former President George W. Bush was at dinner with his wife in Dallas the night he received a phone call from President Obama to tell him that al-Qaida leader Osama bin Laden was dead.
"I didn't… feel any great sense of happiness. Or jubilation," Bush said of the news. "I felt a sense of closure. And I felt a sense of gratitude that justice had been done."
The reaction is from a two-day Q&A National Geographic conducted with the former president about September 11, the first such interview since bin Laden's death, according to The Hollywood Reporter which first reported the news. It will air on August 28 as the highlight of seven days of programming from the channel commemorating the ten-year anniversary of the attacks. Bush declined more than 500 interview requests he's received since bin Laden's death, according to THR.
The interviews took place as scheduled on May 3 and 4, just days after news of bin Laden’s death reached the world. Filmmaker Peter Schnall, who had a previous relationship with Bush from his work on the 2009 documentary Onboard Air Force One said the interviews were surprisingly personal. One example: Bush’s concern for his family.
"One of my concerns, like the concerns of other husbands and wives, was, 'Was my spouse okay? Was Laura okay?'" Bush says in the film, according to THR. "And my second concern was 'Were our girls okay?'… And I finally found [Laura]. She was in a secure location. And it was awesome to hear her voice. And she had talked to the girls. And they were secure."
Want to stay ahead of the curve? Sign up for National Journal’s AM & PM Must Reads. News and analysis to ensure you don’t miss a thing.
Leave a Comment