Former President George W. Bush marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks by unveiling a series of 9/11 paintings — including the moment he learned America was under attack.
The artwork quickly left social media users stunned.
“The absolute mad man. He actually did it. Unreal,” wrote podcaster Ryan Broderick, a former BuzzFeed tech reporter who now runs The Garbage Day newsletter.
“You think no George W. Bush painting could surprise you after the nude self-portraits, but then…” Semafor’s Josh Billinson posted to X.
Bush shared four paintings on Instagram Friday, including one depicting then-White House chief of Staff Andy Card whispering into his ear inside a Florida classroom after a second plane struck the World Trade Center.
Another showed smoke rising above Lower Manhattan, while a third depicted a hand holding a badge. The final painting the former president posted recreated the massive American flag draping over the Pentagon on Sept. 12, 2001.
“He nailed the dumbfounded facial expression,” one X user wrote.
“I didn't realize George Bush made a painting of *that* moment,” added Business Insider features and investigations correspondent Jacob Shamsian.
Eric Michael Garcia, Washington bureau chief for The Independent and an MS NOW columnist, declared in his own post: “This belongs in the National Portrait Gallery.”
Bush, for his part, wrote on Instagram that the paintings — along with others in the collection — would be on display all month at The George W. Bush Presidential Center.
“Twenty-five years ago, the actions of an enemy revealed the spirit of the American people,” Bush wrote Friday. “These and other paintings are my reflections of this solemn anniversary.”
He added: “May we always honor the precious lives stolen, and may God bless America.”
The absolute mad man. He actually did it. Unreal. pic.twitter.com/6UNEG1qovi
— Ryan Broderick (@broderick) September 11, 2026