The West Wing is my favorite TV show. As a professional historian focusing on presidential elections and American political history, I admire Aaron Sorkin’s patriotic and idealistic writing about government. It’s easy to be cynical about politicians, but Sorkin created a love letter to public service. The West Wing portrays the White House as a place where flawed but dedicated people
The West Wing is one of television’s most important and influential shows. When it left the air, it held the records for the most Emmy nominations and wins for a drama series, earning 95 nominations and 26 Emmys, including four consecutive wins for Outstanding Drama Series (2000-2003).
Two superb episodes, Isaac and Ishmael and 20 Hours in America, Part II, stand out for being among the first mainstream TV attempts to address the September 11, 2001, attacks.
Television’s Response to 9/11
The 9/11 terrorist attacks posed a unique challenge for television. Mainstream shows, even those set in New York, like Friends and Everybody Loves Raymond, largely avoided the subject, opting to shield viewers from the raw emotional devastation. While police and first-responder dramas acknowledged the aftermath, most TV shows distanced themselves. However, The West Wing took a different path. Sorkin recognized the need to address the impact of 9/11 head-on, tackling one of the most challenging periods in modern history.
The West Wing’s Timely Response to 9/11: Reflections on “Isaac and Ishmael” and “20 Hours in America”
Isaac and Ishmael: An Immediate Reflection
This urgency led to the creation of Isaac and Ishmael, a standalone episode aired on October 3, 2001, just 22 days after 9/11. The creator of The West Wing, Aaron Sorkin,
The episode Isaac and Ishmael takes place over a single day. When the White House is suddenly locked down in response to an unspecified terrorist threat. a group of high school students are trapped inside. They engage with senior White House staff in a conversation about terrorism. The dialogue captures the confusion and vulnerability Americans felt after the attacks. Click here to watch the scene.
Sam Seaborn’s Unforgettable Insights
Presidential aide Sam Seaborn (played by Rob Lowe) delivers some of the episode’s most memorable lines.
When asked what he’s learned about terrorism, Sam replies, “I’ve learned that terrorism has a 100% failure rate.” He explains that terrorists end up strengthening the causes they aim to destroy.
A student observes that terrorists don’t stop their attacks despite their failures. despite their failures, Sam says, “No.” This moment reveals the persistence and nihilism behind terrorism, driven by motives far beyond success or failure.
Finally, in a devastating exchange that ends the scene, the student asks, “What do you call a society that lives with daily fear 
of such violence?”
Sam answers, “Israel.”
This stark line reminds Americans that many around the world had been living with the threat of terrorism long before September 11, 2001.
20 Hours in America, Part II: A Deeper Reflection
After Isaac and Ishmael, Aaron Sorkin wanted to take more time and create a more developed exploration of terrorism’s aftermath.
In 20 Hours in America, Part 2 aired on September 
The episode culminates in President Josiah Bartlet’s (Martin Sheen) powerful, unforgettable speech honoring first responders and praising the nation’s enduring spirit.
The episode’s centerpiece is the announcement of a terrorist attack: a pipe bomb explodes at a college swim meet, killing 44 people and injuring over 100.
That night, President Bartlet addresses the nation at a candlelit event, invoking the bravery of students who ran into the fire to save others. This speech echoes the heroism of firefighters who climbed the stairs of the World Trade Center on 9/11.
President Bartlet’s Speech
President Bartlet’s speech (fictionally written in the car on the way to the event by 
Sam Seaborn) is an Aaron Sorkin masterpiece.
Martin Sheen’s delivery, the beautiful production, and the emotional script merge to create a scene of surpassing power. Although President Bartlet is addressing a fictional incident, there’s no doubt that Sorkin’s words are about 9/11.
Click here to watch it. The text is below.
“More than any time in recent history, America’s destiny is not of our own choosing. We did not seek nor did we provoke an assault on our freedom and our way of life. We did not expect nor did we invite a confrontation with evil. Yet the true measure of a people’s strength is how they rise to master that moment when it does arrive… The streets of heaven are too crowded with angels tonight, but every time we think we have measured our capacity to meet a challenge, we look up and remember that that capacity may well be limitless. This is a time for American heroes, and we reach for the stars.”
The Evolving Role of Television
Historically, American television has often served as an escape from the real world. In the 1950s, shows like I Love Lucy, Leave It to Beaver, and The Honeymooners existed in worlds that ignored major social issues like the civil rights movement. In the 1960s, Gomer Pyle remained in basic training for five years without mentioning Vietnam. By 2001, The West Wing led a new era of sophisticated dramas like The Sopranos and Game of Thrones. While it couldn’t directly address 9/11, Sorkin masterfully wove America’s reaction to terrorism into unforgettable fiction.
Postscript: Context And A Question
Isaac and Ishmael aired before the official premiere of The West Wing’s third season and is often considered “episode zero” because it exists outside the continuity of both seasons two and three. Before the episode, Martin Sheen addressed the audience directly, explaining that it was a “play” meant to stand apart from the show’s usual narrative. He also provided information about donation hotlines for victims of the September 11 attacks, offering viewers a way to support those affected by the tragedy.
In the picture above, Deputy Chief of Staff Josh Lyman (Bradley Whitford) asked the students to find the correct answer to this equation: Islamic extremism is to Islam as _____ is to Christianity. How would you answer?
