Donald Trump will mark 25th anniversary of 9/11 at Pentagon instead of Ground Zero
President Donald Trump will commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks at the Pentagon, sending Vice President JD Vance to Ground Zero where speeches by politicians remain prohibited.
Shift to the Pentagon
Donald Trump confirmed on 28 August 2026 that he will mark the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 terrorist attacks exclusively at the Pentagon rather than attending the ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City. White House plans initially placed the president in Lower Manhattan, where the Secret Service conducted advance site surveys in mid-August. Vice President JD Vance will instead represent the administration at the World Trade Center site, while other federal officials are scheduled across all three attack locations, including the crash site in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The change occurred after memorial organizers indicated that political figures remain prohibited from delivering addresses during the ceremony. Trump disputed reports regarding the motives behind his schedule change, though multiple accounts note his intention was to speak at the ceremony.
The Ground Zero speech policy
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum instituted a ban on political speeches in 2012 to maintain a nonpartisan atmosphere following contentious disputes over memorial construction. During the first decade following the 2001 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, elected officials regularly participated by reading historical documents such as the Gettysburg Address or reciting poetry. Since the policy change, public officials across party lines stand silently while family members of victims spend several hours reading the names of the deceased from the stage. Trump observed this protocol in 2024, when he attended the New York ceremony alongside Vance, then-President Joe Biden, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
- Officials deliver readings and historical texts at Ground Zero
- Memorial foundation prohibits political speeches at the World Trade Center site
- Trump and Biden attend Ground Zero ceremony together without public remarks
- White House shifts Trump appearance from New York to the Pentagon
- 25th anniversary ceremonies scheduled across three attack sites
Official reactions and attendance list
White House Deputy Press Secretary Anna Kelly defended the administration's commemorative posture, noting the president's connection to his home city while confirming his dedication to honoring victims and first responders.
On the 25th anniversary of this tragic day, the President will remember those who were killed at the hands of evil terrorists, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Americans.
The ceremony at Ground Zero is scheduled to include multiple former leaders, including former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, along with former First Ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, and former New York Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. The Department of Defense declined to comment on the president's planned appearance at its headquarters.
Logistics and past commemorations
Travel logistics also factored into the decision, as Trump is scheduled to depart for Ireland the day following the anniversary to attend the Irish Open golf tournament at his Doonbeg resort. Operating Air Force One from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland generates fewer logistical interruptions than staging departures out of John F. Kennedy International Airport or Newark Liberty International Airport. Trump marked the previous anniversary at the Pentagon alongside First Lady Melania Trump, delivering remarks to families before attending a baseball game in New York.
In America we take blows, but we never buckle. We bleed, but we do not bow, and we defy the fear, endure the flames and emerge from the crucible of every hardship stronger, prouder and greater than ever before.
