Trump confirms Pentagon plans for 25th anniversary of 9/11 attacks, disputes report on Ground Zero absence
Trump to Attend Pentagon for 25th‑Anniversary Commemoration of 9/11
By Maine News Now
WASHINGTON, D.C. – President Donald J. Trump announced on Friday that he will be in Washington, D.C., on the morning of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks to mark the event at the Pentagon. He said he would not be present at the Ground Zero memorial in New York City, citing restrictions that have barred politicians from speaking at the site since 2012.
At a press briefing on Joint Base Andrews, Trump replied to a reporter who asked why he was not attending the ceremony in New York. “Because I’m going to the Pentagon,” he said.
The decision has drawn commentary from the White House. Principal deputy press secretary Anna Kelly told Fox News that the president would “remember those who were killed… honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders.” She also noted that Vice President Kamala Harris would be traveling to New York and that the administration would be represented at all three sites of the attacks—Ground Zero in Manhattan, the Pentagon in Washington, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed.
The White House’s statement emphasized that Trump is a “proud New Yorker” and that he has spoken publicly about the day’s events. White House communications director Steven Cheung countered criticism from social‑media accounts that portrayed Trump as “snubbing” the Ground Zero ceremony with the remark “FAKE NEWS.”
Trump has a history of attending the Pentagon for 9/11 commemorations. He spoke there in 2017 and, in the years that followed, alternated between the Pentagon, the Pennsylvania crash site, and the Manhattan memorial. The most recent Ground Zero ceremony in which he appeared was in 2024, when he was the Republican presidential nominee. He has not attended the Ground Zero event during his first term as president.
Trump’s comments on Truth Social and other outlets have also addressed the restrictions on speaking at the memorial. In a post on the day of the announcement, he wrote that the story that he “won’t be at the World Trade Center because they won’t let me make a speech” was fabricated. He added that he is “a featured speaker” at the Pentagon and that “no one ever speaks” at Ground Zero, describing it as a “solemn ceremony.”
The 9/11 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, remain the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history. The attacks prompted the U.S. invasion of Afghanistan and helped shape the broader War on Terror that later included the 2003 Iraq invasion.
The Pentagon ceremony will take place at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial, which includes a bronze plaque and an audio‑visual exhibit commemorating the victims. The National 9/11 Memorial in New York City is scheduled to hold a silent observance that will not feature speeches. The ceremony in Shanksville will be attended by local officials and survivors of the Flight 93 crash.
Maine News Now will continue to follow the events of the 25th anniversary commemorations.