Earthquake

Analysis marking the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks argues that the national unity seen in 2001 would be far less likely if a comparable crisis struck today. After 9/11, President George W. Bush's approval rating jumped from roughly 53 percent to as high as 92 percent in polling from Gallup and ABC News, reflecting a rare moment of bipartisan cohesion. By contrast, President Trump's current average approval sits around 38 percent, illustrating how deeply polarized the country has become.

The piece points to five structural shifts since 2001: the rise of social media and information silos, the decline of traditional media in favor of partisan cable "brands," rapid partisan blame-assigning after major events, eroding public trust in government — cited in a new Associated Press-NORC survey showing six in ten adults distrust federal information — and the widest wealth gap in three decades per Federal Reserve data. Together, these trends suggest that a modern-day catastrophic event would likely deepen division rather than foster the shared resolve seen after 9/11.