Former President George Bush shared two paintings he made on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, and they are being slammed online. 

Published on: Sep 12, 2026, 14:28:17 IST

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Former President George Bush shared two paintings he made on the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Bush, who was president when the Twin Towers went down, shared the photos on his social media.

“Twenty-five years ago, the actions of an enemy revealed the spirit of the American people. These and other paintings are my reflections of this solemn anniversary and will be on display all month at @thebushcenter. May we always honor the precious lives stolen, and may God bless America,” he wrote.

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What do George Bush's paintings show

The first painting is a self portrait. It captures the moment when George Bush was informed about the attack on Twin Towers. One person remarked “How am I just finding out that George W. Bush did a painting of himself finding out about 9/11.”

In internet culture, the moment of Bush finding out about the tragedy has been taken as an image template and used in several other contexts. Meanwhile, the former president shared another photo of the Manhattan skyline covered with smoke as the Twin Towers went down.

Bush's photos drew widespread reactions, with some slamming the move. Others spoke out in favor of the former President saying he was probably trying to process his feelings. Yet others noted that a man who had responded to the situation with war, was now turning to art 25 years later, to capture what had happened.

George Bush's 9/11 paintings spark reactions

Many of Bush's critics slammed his choice to turn the tragedy into paintings. “Jesus Christ this is insane,” one wrote. Another added “NOT A 9/11 SELF PORTRAIT OH MY GODDDD.”

Yet another said “delete this.” On X too, the paintings were widely shared and drew mixed responses.

“George W. Bush’s 9/11 paintings at his presidential library are absolutely worth seeing,” journalist Teddy Schleifer remarked.

Another quipped “You think no George W. Bush painting could surprise you after the nude self-portraits, but then.” One supporter said of the paintings “You can debate all you want about whether he should do paintings about 9/11. Perhaps it’s therapy since it’s clear he was in as much shock as the average American. All I can say is the painting on the left (when he was told) pales in comparison to the actual photo. The eyes aren’t right.”

Meanwhile, a current political commentator remarked “George W. Bush picked up his paintbrush in remembrance of the 25th anniversary of 9/11. A president who responded to 9/11 with war is now honoring it with art.”

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