The Situation Room: The Inside Story of Presidents in Crisis

In the Prologue, Stephanopoulos introduces the secret command center of the White House known as the Situation Room. Located in the basement of the White House and consisting of four separate conference rooms, it was created in 1961 to serve as a crisis center during America’s catastrophes.

Stephanopoulos describes the events of January 6th, 2021, when President Donald Trump implored thousands of his supporters to come to Washington, D.C. to stop the certification of Joe Biden’s presidential win. Stephanopoulos explains that during national crises, the Situation Room staff would usually monitor events, gather information, and report to the president, but this was different because “the president was the cause of the crisis” (2).

According to Stephanopoulos, the staff of the “Sit Room” had dealt with many crises during the previous decades, such as nuclear scares, the assassination of a president, and assassination attempts on two others. They even stayed at their posts on 9/11, when the White House itself was the target of terrorists. They had never before dealt with an insurrection against the American government, “inspired by the president of the United States” (4). Stephanopoulos also explains that volumes have been written about the 12 presidents who have been elected since the Situation Room was created in 1961, but few accounts have chronicled the history and inner workings of the site itself, “despite its vital place in America’s story” (5).