25 Years Later: 9/11 and the World It Made
25 Years Later: 9/11 and the World It Made
25 Years Later: 9/11 and the World It Made
2026 Sumners Civics Lecture featuring Andrew Card, White House Chief of Staff on September 11, 2001, and Will Cain, Host at FOX News Channel
Reception: 6:00 PM
Speaker Conversation: 6:30 PM
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Andrew Card leaned down and whispered eleven words into the ear of President George W. Bush: “A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.” As White House Chief of Staff, Card was at the center of the most consequential crisis in modern American history – present in the room, on the plane, and at the table as the nation responded to the unthinkable.
Twenty-five years later, join us for an extraordinary evening of reflection with Andrew Card. Drawing on his firsthand experience, Card will share what it was like to navigate those first hours and days, how American foreign policy and national security were reshaped in the aftermath, and what the past quarter century has revealed about resilience, leadership, and the enduring stakes of global engagement.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
As chief of staff for President George W. Bush, assistant to the president/deputy chief of staff for President George H. W. Bush, and special assistant and director of intergovernmental affairs for President Reagan, Andrew H. Card, Jr. has been at the center of U.S. politics for decades. At President Bush’s side on September 11, 2001, Card was a unique witness to history on that fateful day and the years that followed. After leaving Washington, Andy Card led Franklin Pierce University as President until 2016, held academic leadership roles at Texas A&M University, chaired the National Endowment for Democracy, and served as CEO of The George & Barbara Bush Foundation.
ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Will Cain joined FOX News Channel in 2020 and currently serves as host of The Will Cain Show. He is also the host of the Will Cain Country podcast on FOX News Audio where he merges the worlds of news and sports, with a spotlight on listener interaction. From 2020 to 2025, Cain served as the co-host of FOX & Friends Weekend, FNC’s top-rated weekend morning show. In this capacity, he presented interviews with key newsmakers and figures including President Donald Trump, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Barstool founder Dave Portnoy.
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About the event
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Andrew Card leaned down and whispered eleven words into the ear of President George W. Bush: “A second plane hit the second tower. America is under attack.” As White House Chief of Staff, Card was at the center of the most consequential crisis in modern American history – present in the room, on the plane, and at the table as the nation responded to the unthinkable.
Twenty-five years later, join us for an extraordinary evening of reflection with Andrew Card. Drawing on his firsthand experience, Card will share what it was like to navigate those first hours and days, how American foreign policy and national security were reshaped in the aftermath, and what the past quarter century has revealed about resilience, leadership, and the enduring stakes of global engagement.
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
As chief of staff for President George W. Bush, assistant to the president/deputy chief of staff for President George H. W. Bush, and special assistant and director of intergovernmental affairs for President Reagan, Andrew H. Card, Jr. has been at the center of U.S. politics for decades. At President Bush’s side on September 11, 2001, Card was a unique witness to history on that fateful day and the years that followed. After leaving Washington, Andy Card led Franklin Pierce University as President until 2016, held academic leadership roles at Texas A&M University, chaired the National Endowment for Democracy, and served as CEO of The George & Barbara Bush Foundation.ABOUT THE MODERATOR
Will Cain joined FOX News Channel in 2020 and currently serves as host of The Will Cain Show. He is also the host of the Will Cain Country podcast on FOX News Audio where he merges the worlds of news and sports, with a spotlight on listener interaction. From 2020 to 2025, Cain served as the co-host of FOX & Friends Weekend, FNC’s top-rated weekend morning show. In this capacity, he presented interviews with key newsmakers and figures including President Donald Trump, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, and Barstool founder Dave Portnoy.
Thank you to our lecture series sponsor
