Former President Joe Biden and three other former U.S. presidents are expected to attend the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at Ground Zero in New York City. The ceremony is expected to feature the four living former presidents, while President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump are slated to commemorate the anniversary at the Pentagon.
The upcoming event will mark 25 years since the attacks that killed 2,977 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Organizers at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum have maintained a policy since 2012 that prohibits politicians from delivering speeches during the Ground Zero ceremony.
In addition to Biden, former presidents Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush are expected to attend the New York City event, along with former first ladies Jill Biden, Laura Bush, and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. Vice President JD Vance will represent the administration at Ground Zero, while other administration officials will travel to the Flight 93 crash site in Shanksville.
The New York Times reported that President Trump opted not to attend the Manhattan ceremony because he was not permitted to speak, a claim the White House and Communications Director Steven Cheung denied, with Cheung calling it "fake news." Trump told reporters on Friday, August 28, that he is visiting the Pentagon instead. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said the president also plans to honor first responders and fire department officials at the White House on September 8.
The scale of the commemorations spans three states and includes federal ceremonies at the Pentagon and the Flight 93 National Memorial. While the events are primarily ceremonial, the presence of Vice President Vance at Ground Zero ensures the administration maintains a presence at the site of the World Trade Center attacks.
The decision for a sitting president to commemorate the day away from Ground Zero has occurred previously; Trump attended ceremonies at the Pentagon in 2017 and 2019, and in Shanksville in 2018 and 2020. The 25th anniversary events will take place on Friday, September 11, following the White House event for first responders on September 8. After his visit to the Pentagon, President Trump is scheduled to travel to Ireland on September 12 and 13 to attend a golf tournament.