Good morning, it's Sunday, September 12th. I'm Maria Theresa Kumar in for Ali Belche.

20 years ago today, Americans realized the nightmare of 9-11 didn't disappear with the sunrise.

Two decades later, the country is still trying to find its way out of the shadow of that devastating attack.

For some, the only way forward is with unity.

As President Biden visited the memorial site of each attack, he was joined by President Harris

and former President Obama and Clinton. Both former president, George W. Bush, and Vice

President Harris reflected upon how Americans united together when faced with

tragedy. On the days that followed, September 11th, 2001, we were all reminded that unity is possible

in America. However, in contrast to the current administration's emphasis on unity, the most recent ex-president

chose to sow more division.

While the native New Yorker was notably absent from any of the official 9-11 memorial services

this weekend, the failed former president instead visited a police precinct and neighboring

firehouse.

Rather than honor the first responders who lost their lives helping others 20 years ago, he continued to spread

lies about the 2020 election. That same rhetoric is what helped drive a violent mob of his supporters

to storm the Capitol in a futile last-ditch attempt to prevent Biden from taking

office just months ago. While the 9-11 terrorists and the January 6th insurrectionists may

both have been threatened by what our democracy represents, both attacks remind us that our

freedom is worth fighting for. In fact, former President Bush emphasized that exact point this weekend.

There's little cultural overlap between violent extremists abroad and violent extremists at home.

But in there's disdainful pluralism, in their disregard for human life, in their determination to defile national symbols,

they are children of the same foul spirit, and it is our continuing duty to confront them.

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