On September 11, 2001, a passenger at Kennedy International Airport witnessed the attacks from a grounded plane. The author, who drafted a memo to President Clinton's national security adviser in 1999, argued the attacks were predictable. Now, two new perils loom: AI-designed cyberattacks on critical infrastructure and biological attacks using AI to design deadly pathogens.

Experts warn the government is failing to prevent these atrocities. Democratic cohesion is eroding, and disinformation from the Covid pandemic undermines expert authority. The author notes that Osama bin Laden revolutionized terrorism using the internet, creating decentralized networks.

If Flight 93 hit its likely target, the U.S. Capitol, the House of Representatives could not have been reconstituted without new elections, leaving only the executive branch functioning. The challenge of limiting attack damage has grown over 25 years. Misinformation and the denigration of expert opinion make preparation more challenging, creating an environment of confusion and fear as dangerous as any attacker.

The possibility that only the executive would rule after a catastrophe remains a threat to the constitutional order today.