In a discussion with Mark Green, Democratic candidate for New York attorney general, and KT McFarland, a Republican running for Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton's (D-NY) Senate seat, about President Bush's efforts to protect New York City from terrorism on the July 31 edition of MSNBC's Hardball, host Chris Matthews claimed that "[w]e know" President Bill Clinton “didn't stop” the September 11, 2001, terror attacks on the World Trade Center. Matthews began by asking McFarland, “How has the president done in protecting this city, since he took office and since he went through all this on 9-11?” When McFarland responded that “the fact that we've not had another terrorist incident is example number one” of Bush's success, Matthews invited her to explain “what foiled the terrorists,” and did not challenge her response. Yet when Green responded to McFarland's claim by stating that “terrorism around the world has tripled” and that "[t]he war in Iraq has increased terrorism [and] isolated America," Matthews asked Green if he thought President Bill Clinton “did a good job of stopping a second attack on the World Trade Center when he was president.” While Green said that “we can't know,” Matthews replied that "[w]e know he didn't stop it."

When Green subsequently noted that according to former National Security Council counterterrorism coordinator Richard A. Clarke, former national security adviser Sandy Berger “briefed Condoleezza Rice, he said your number one issue will be terrorism,” McFarland asserted: “Tell that to 2,000 people who died.”

From the July 31 edition of MSNBC's Hardball with Chris Matthews:

MATTHEWS: Let me ask you about the president. You know, the strongest security concern in this city -- and I've talked to a lot of people -- is, of course, 9-11 and, of course, how it's changed the city. And we're looking at one of the most beautiful places in New York -- I always say to people, come to Rockefeller Center if you want to feel the city, the metropolitan part of the city. How has the president done in protecting this city since he took office and since he went through all this on 9-11?

McFARLAND: I think the fact that we've not had another terrorist incident is example number one. We've -- the United States has not had a significant terrorist incident since September 11. I give that --

MATTHEWS: So what foiled -- what foiled the terrorists?

McFARLAND: I think a number of things have foiled it. One, and particularly here in New York, you just mentioned a minute ago, Rudy Giuliani -- well, Mayor [Michael] Bloomberg has done a brilliant job. When September the 11th happened, he turned to the police department and he turned to [Police] Commissioner [Raymond W.] Kelly and he said, “Do whatever you have to do to make sure it doesn't happen again.”

MATTHEWS: Mark, what do you think of my idea of taking the U.N., if it wants to expand -- in fact, encourage it to expand -- and put it down at World Trade Center, in the footprint, so that if they hit us again, they're hitting everybody?

GREEN: I like that idea. But let me disagree --

MATTHEWS: Hold the whole world hostage to our security -- don't you think that's a good idea?

GREEN: One second -- let me just --

MATTHEWS: If we're going to rebuild, why don't we put the U.N. -- you guys have a problem, really, coming out against terrorism. We'll put you in a situation where you face the terrorists head-on.

GREEN: Chris --

MATTHEWS: We're going to put you --

GREEN: It's a good TV idea, but --

MATTHEWS: Why isn't it a good idea in reality?

GREEN: Symbolically it's a good idea, because they hit us there, and let the world come together there. But I disagree on Bush and protecting New York. It was eight years between the first and the second World Trade Center attacks. As a New Yorker who saw the plane go into the World Trade Center on the day I had an election -- of course I'm relieved there's no attack, but for one day -- for four days of the Iraq war, we can inspect not 5 percent of all containers coming into this city, but 20 percent. We could protect every airliner with antimissile devices.

So since terrorism around the world has tripled, I'm not satisfied, oh, we haven't been hit in New York. The war in Iraq has increased terrorism, isolated America. We're spending it in the wrong place.

McFARLAND: Well, now, wait a minute.

MATTHEWS: Who was president from '93 to 2001? Who was president of the United States?

GREEN: You know the answer.

MATTHEWS: Bill Clinton. Do you think he did a good job of stopping a second attack on the World Trade Center when he was president for eight years?

GREEN: We can't know whether he stopped it. Richard Clarke --

MATTHEWS: We know he didn't stop it.

GREEN: Richard Clarke's book said that Clinton was on the case on terrorism. Sandy Berger said, when he briefed Condoleezza Rice, he said your number one issue will be terrorism --

McFARLAND: Tell that to 2,000 people who died.