Politics
Bill Maher Mourns Conservative TV Star Who Died In September 11 Hijacking
Barbara Olson was emerging as one of Washington’s most recognizable conservative voices when she was killed on September 11 aboard the hijacked plane that terrorists flew into the Pentagon.
Just two days earlier, the 45-year-old lawyer and television pundit made what would become her final TV appearance on C-SPAN’s “The Washington Journal.”
Olson joined host Peter Slen and CNN “Crossfire” personality Bill Press, a former chairman of the California Democratic Party, for the Sept. 9, 2001, broadcast.
Slen opened the discussion by pointing to Olson’s growing influence in the nation’s capital. Washingtonian magazine had recently included her among “the 100 most powerful women” in Washington, alongside figures such as Laura Bush and Hillary Clinton.
Asked what it “meant” to wield that kind of influence, and whether it came from power, position, money or marriage, Olson laughed off the distinction.
“I don’t know. I mean, what does it mean to have influence? I don’t know – I get up really early, I go home really late. Does that mean influence? I guess I know people like Bill Press,” she said with a smile.
It was the sort of candid, quick-witted response that had helped make Olson a fixture on cable television. Over three years, she became a familiar presence on programs including “Larry King Live” and Bill Maher’s “Politically Incorrect.”
Before launching her television career, Olson worked as chief investigative counsel for the U.S. House of Representatives. She also practiced law at a Washington firm known for its ties to the lobbying world.
On the morning of September 11, Olson boarded American Airlines Flight 77 at Washington Dulles International Airport. She was traveling to Los Angeles to appear on Maher’s show.
25 YEARS AGO TOMORROW:
Barbara Olson’s last TV appearance was on Sept. 9, 2001 … She was killed on 9-11 when terrorists crashed her plane into Pentagon … She was headed to Los Angeles for Bill Maher show … On C-SPAN 9-9-2001 she mentioned her husband Ted Olson (died 2024) pic.twitter.com/wGB6NLpgAr
— Howard Mortman (@HowardMortman) September 8, 2026
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The flight was hijacked roughly 30 minutes after takeoff and crashed into the western side of the Pentagon. The five al-Qaeda terrorists aboard the plane killed all 59 passengers and crew members, along with 125 people inside the building.
“25 Years Ago today… Olson was killed on 9/11 when terrorists crashed her plane into Pentagon,” a caption accompanying C-SPAN’s resurfaced footage read.
Amid the terror unfolding aboard Flight 77, Olson managed to call her husband, Theodore Olson, who was serving as solicitor general under President George W. Bush. She was one of only two people aboard the plane known to have contacted loved ones, according to the 9/11 Commission.
“To this day, I don’t know how in the world she managed to do it,” Theodore Olson told Fox News in 2021 while recalling the two calls he received that morning.
“We spoke for a minute or two or three or four minutes. She told me that she had been herded to the back of the plane. She mentioned that they had used knives and box cutters to hijack the plane,” he said, according to “The Only Plane in the Sky: An Oral History of 9/11.”
By then, two hijacked planes had already struck the World Trade Center in New York. Barbara Olson’s calls came sometime between 9:16 a.m. and 9:26 a.m., her husband said.
“We then both reassured one another – this plane was still up in the air, the plane was still flying. She was going to come out OK. She said, “I love you.” She sounded very, very calm.”
Theodore Olson quickly alerted officials at the FBI and Justice Department that another passenger jet had been hijacked.
“I wanted to find out where the plane was. She reported to me that she could see houses,” he added.
Barbara Olson also told him the terrorists did not know she had a phone. Then the connection abruptly ended.
“After the second phone call, we kept watching television. Not too long later, we could see over the television screen smoking coming from the Pentagon.”
“I knew in my heart that it was her flight.”
Barbara and Theodore Olson were among Washington’s most prominent political couples at the time. Her national profile meant millions of Americans immediately recognized her among those missing after the attack.
“Barbara’s was the first face that went up on television screens to the American people because people knew who Barbara was,” Theodore Olson told Fox.
She had originally planned to leave Washington on Sept. 10, 2001. Instead, she postponed her trip by one day so she could celebrate her husband’s birthday, which fell on September 11.
The couple shared a birthday dinner the night before the attacks.
Theodore Olson died in November 2024 at age 84.
