Also in the interview, the president defended his lengthy pause in a Florida classroom when he was first told of the Sept. 11, 2001 attacks on the United States.
“Well, I had just been told by (White House Chief of Staff) Andrew Card that America was under attack. And I was collecting my thoughts,” Bush said. “I think what’s important is how I reacted when I realized America was under attack. It didn’t take me long to figure out we were at war.”