--- title: Torture Report: Here's What Made George W. Bush Uncomfortable description: President Bush was uncomfortable with the idea of a detainee chained to the ceiling and wearing a diaper, a Senate report said. canonical: https://time.com/3625678/senate-torture-report-george-bush/ author: Tessa Berenson article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2014-12-09T17:40:15.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:00:14.484Z article:section: Politics og:title: Torture Report: Here's What Made George W. Bush Uncomfortable og:description: President Bush was uncomfortable with the idea of a detainee chained to the ceiling and wearing a diaper, a Senate report said. og:url: https://time.com/3625678/senate-torture-report-george-bush/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8f2a750b109278e/69876d9d5f570f56a4b14127/george-bush-torture-report.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 2560 og:image:height: 1440 og:image:alt: George W. Bush Torture Report og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: Torture Report: Here's What Made George W. Bush Uncomfortable twitter:description: President Bush was uncomfortable with the idea of a detainee chained to the ceiling and wearing a diaper, a Senate report said. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltf8f2a750b109278e/69876d9d5f570f56a4b14127/george-bush-torture-report.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Here's What Made George W. Bush Uncomfortable About Torture > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME D.C. Brief: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition D.C. Brief is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington. D.C. Brief goes beyond the Washington headlines to explain the politics, personalities and power dynamics shaping what happens next. 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Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/newsletters?i=0ff870de-a108-48d6-9534-11d1e6ab3cca&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3/subscribe?i=0ff870de-a108-48d6-9534-11d1e6ab3cca&cr=time-nl-dcbrief-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's politics newsletter? D.C. Brief is TIME's Washington newsletter, written by senior correspondent Philip Elliott. It explains the politics, personalities and power dynamics behind the headlines, three times a week. #### Where can I get analysis of Washington politics by email? D.C. Brief is TIME's free Washington politics newsletter, available at time.com/newsletters. It is written by a TIME senior correspondent who covers the capital full time. #### Who writes TIME's D.C. Brief? Philip Elliott, a senior correspondent at TIME, writes D.C. Brief. #### Is D.C. Brief free? Yes. D.C. Brief is free at time.com/newsletters. ## Video: Dianne Feinstein on Torture Report [Watch (HLS stream): Dianne Feinstein on Torture Report](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/PgrKdhsm.m3u8) (0:52)  _Published 2014-12-09. Dianne Feinstein on Torture Report_  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Dec 9, 2014 5:40 PM UTC  President Bush speaks about the war on terror at a hotel in Washington on Sept. 29, 2006. President Bush speaks about the war on terror at a hotel in Washington on Sept. 29, 2006. Charles Dharapak—AP  by [Tessa Berenson](https://time.com/author/tessa-berenson/)  ## Tessa Berenson Dec 9, 2014 5:40 PM UTC The CIA’s interrogation and detention programs occurred under President George W. Bush, but even he had reservations, according to a [Senate report](http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/study2014/sscistudy1.pdf). The [Senate report](http://www.intelligence.senate.gov/study2014/sscistudy1.pdf) released Tuesday says that the CIA did not brief President Bush on specific interrogation techniques until April 2006 and that he expressed reservation about one technique then. According to footnote 17 on page 18 of the introduction: --- > “” --- Footnote 179 on page 40 elaborates that the account of Bush’s discomfort came from en email from a psychologist working as a CIA contractor, who was given the pseudonym “Grayson Swigert” in the report, about a June 7, 2006, meeting the contractor had with the director of the CIA. The footnote goes on to note that the CIA did not dispute that account, but went on to say that agency records were incomplete and that Bush said in his autobiography that he discussed the program with CIA Director George Tenet in 2002 and “personally approved the techniques.” Bush first publicly acknowledged the CIA’s Detention and Interrogation Program in September of 2006. ## Transcript This clearly is a period of turmoil and instability in many parts of the world. Unfortunately, that's going to continue for the fe, foreseeable future, whether this report is released or not. It shows that the CI's, A's actions a decade ago. Are a stain on our value and on our history. The release of this 500 page summary cannot remove that stain but it can and does say to our people, and the world, that America is big enough to admit when it's wrong. And confident enough to learn from its mistakes. Releasing this report is an important step to restore our values and show the world that we are in fact a just and lawful society. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3625678/senate-torture-report-george-bush/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3625678/senate-torture-report-george-bush/"},"headline":"Here's What Made George W. 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