Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, Iowa U.S. Senator Chuck Grassley recalled the chaos and confusion inside the U.S. Capitol that morning, describing a scene of frantic evacuation and a stark lack of preparedness that contrasts sharply with today’s security protocols.
Confusion and Evacuation at the Capitol
On the morning of September 11, 2001, Grassley was conducting radio interviews inside the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, D.C., when the first plane struck the World Trade Center’s North Tower. He initially believed the crash was a terrible accident. That perception changed moments later when the second plane hit the South Tower.
“Within five minutes, policeman knocks on the door and say, ‘You got to get out of here. You got to get out of here,’” Grassley said.
As staff and lawmakers fled the building and first responders rushed in, Grassley waited outside the Capitol with colleagues. He noted that at the time, there was no established safety plan for an attack of that magnitude.
No Evacuation Plan Existed
Two other planes crashed that day, including United Airlines Flight 93, which investigators believe was targeting the U.S. Capitol before passengers intervened. Reflecting on how close he and others may have come to disaster, Grassley emphasized the vulnerability they faced.
“I reflected on this afterwards that if the if that plane was going to hit the U.S. Capitol building where we were standing was probably going to be just as dead as what we were,” Grassley said. “There was no plans for evacuation. Today we have all sorts of plans to what to do under similar circumstances.”
Following the evacuation, Grassley and his wife took shelter in a staffer’s home while he and his colleagues worked to understand the full scope of the attacks unfolding across the country.
Reflections on Unity and Division
Looking back a quarter-century later, Grassley said he remains struck by the patriotism and national unity that emerged in the aftermath of the attacks. However, he expressed doubt that the country would respond the same way today.
“Politics has divided the country.”
The senator’s remarks underscore how the events of September 11 reshaped not only national security infrastructure but also the political landscape, leaving a legacy of both resilience and deepening partisan divides.
