ScreensdisplayavideoofformerPresidentGeorgeW.Bushspeakingduringaneventtocommemoratethe20thanniversaryoftheSept.11,2001,terroristattacks,Saturday,Sept.11,2021,inSpringfield,Va.(APPhoto/LuisM.Alvarez)
ByDAVIDBAUDER,APMediaWriter
NEWYORK(AP)—Manyofthemediaoutletsthatexplorethecountry'sdifferences,pausingSaturdaytomarkthe20thanniversaryoftheSept.11terroristattacks,recalledalmostwistfullythesenseofcommonpurposethatunitedAmericansintheaftermathofthatday.
Televisionnewsnetworksofferedwall-to-wallcoverageofremembrancesinNewYork,WashingtonandShanksville,Pennsylvania,thatwereattendedbyfourpresidents.
“Oneshouldsavorthesemomentsofunitythismorning—feelhowgoodthatfeels,”saidFoxNewsChannelanchorDanaPerino,shortlyafterBruceSpringsteensang“I'llSeeYouinMyDreams”atNewYork'sWorldTradeCentermemorial.
NormallyFox,CNNandMSNBCspendhoursonpoliticalwarfare,mostnotablythisweekFox'sheatedresponsetoPresidentJoeBiden'slatestCOVID-fightingplan.
Perinowasoneoftwoex-pressaidestoformerPresidentGeorgeW.BushtoanchornewscoverageSaturday;MSNBC'sNicolleWallacewastheother.Thenetworkscarriedlivetheirformerboss'speechinShanksville.BushandVicePresidentKamalaHarrisbothcalledforthatlong-dissipatedspritofunitytoreturn.
“OnSept.11weallgaveupourlabels.WeallbecameAmericans,”formerBushChiefofStaffAndrewCardsaidinanMSNBCinterview.
Shortlyafter,onetimefirstresponderJohnFealtoldMSNBC'sAliVelshithat“welabeleachothertoomuch.Itwasgreattobeahumanbeing”aftertheattacks.
SelflessactsofsacrificearewhatCBSNewsanchorNorahO'DonnellsaidshewasthinkingaboutonSaturday.“Wecallthemheroes,buttheyareeverydayAmericans...that'swhat'sgreataboutthiscountry,(that)terroriststriedtotakeanddidnottakeawaythatday.”
Differencesdidn'tmeltcompletelyaway.FormerNewYorkCityPoliceCommissionerBernardKeriktweetedhewas“disgusted”thatPresidentJoeBidenwasatthecity'sceremony.
Wallaceandherco-anchor,BrianWilliams,twicetalkedaboutformerPresidentDonaldTrump'sabsencefromSept.11remembrancesSaturday—bothtimeswithoutsayinghisname.
TrumpmadeappearancesataNewYorkpolicestationandfirehouse,andthepolicevisitwascoveredlivebyFox.However,thenetworkbrokeaway,andanchorArthelNevillesaidthat“hedidnotmissanyopportunitiestoairgrievances,includingclaimingthattheelectionwasrigged,whichitwasnot.”
Bush'sspeech,wherehediscussedthedangersofhome-grownextremism,wasseizeduponbyjournalists.“Ithinkalotofpeoplearegoingtobetalkingaboutthatfordaystocome,”saidCNN'sPaulaReid.
ThenewsnetworkscarriedtheinitialreadingofWorldTradeCentervictims'namesbyfamilymembers,beginningat8:49a.m.Eastern.
“They'restillreadingthenames,”CNN'sLauraJarrettsaidshortlyafternoon,“almostatemporalreminder,ifyouwill,ofthelossofnearly3,000people.”
ButafterSpringsteensang,mostofthenetworksdriftedaway.ABC,CBSandNBCaffiliatesinNewYorkCity,asistheirtradition,didn'tbudge.Theylistenedaseachnamewasread,accompanyingthemwiththenamesandpicturesofvictimsonscreen,alongwiththeoftenheartbreakingpersonalmessagesoflivesthatcontinuedwithvoidsincountlesshearts.
Ittookfourhours,untiltheceremonyendedwithtapsbeingplayedontrumpets.
“Twentyyearsisaniceroundnumber,”saidJimGiaccone,whomemorializedhislostbrother,Joseph.“Butformeandotherfamilymembers,it'sanotherday,it'sanothermonth,it'sanotheryear.”
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