How the 9/11 attacks reshaped U.S. political dynamics for the next 25 years

The 9/11 attacks instantly elevated terrorism as the top issue for American voters, with Gallup reporting a jump to 46 percent of adults naming it the nation’s biggest problem. President George W. Bush’s approval rating surged to 90 percent, creating a brief period of bipartisan support for heightened security and overseas operations. Republicans leveraged this mood to add seats in both chambers of Congress in the 2002 midterms and to secure Bush’s re-election in 2004, while the Iraq War later eroded that support, enabling Democratic advances in 2006 and 2008.

Barack Obama’s early anti-Iraq stance helped launch his Senate career and later his presidential bid, though his administration still pursued drone strikes and the raid that killed Osama bin Laden is not mentioned in the source. The Republican Party later split between anti-interventionists like Ron Paul and candidates such as Donald Trump, who combined criticism of Obama’s perceived weakness with promises of aggressive action against ISIS, reflecting the lasting political legacy of 9/11.