Secret Service Agent Was Told to “Stand By” the Day After 9/11

About this video

Former Secret Service agent Dan recounts his experiences on September 12-14, 2001, describing how New York agents were told to stand by after 9/11, then mobilized when President Bush announced his visit to Ground Zero. Dan describes the logistical challenges of protecting the president at an active rescue site and witnessing Bush’s unscripted interactions with first responders on the rubble pile. He also discusses the intense operational tempo that followed for years and shares stories from his protective intelligence work.

Key takeaways

• The guest describes experiencing a lack of purpose on September 12, 2001, until learning President Bush would visit Ground Zero, which he says gave agents renewed mission focus
• The guest recounts that protecting the president at Ground Zero became what agents called a ‘soup sandwich’ due to the impossibility of securing an active rescue site with minimal planning time
• The guest witnessed what he describes as President Bush’s unscripted, intense interactions with first responders who expressed ‘blood lust’ and demanded retaliation, which Bush later cited as fuel for the War on Terror
• The guest states that New York agents initially worked Ground Zero recovery before shifting to an overwhelming tempo of protective visits from national and international leaders for the next two years

Episode details: published September 19, 2026 · 15.1K views · 25:17 long. Summary written by Self Growth Videos from the episode itself. Stories told by Mike Ritland’s podcast guests are the guests’ own accounts, attributed to them — not independently verified. Commentary is Ritland’s, presented as his analysis.

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