Trump Skips Ground Zero, Marks 9/11 at Pentagon
Trump Skips Ground Zero, Marks 9/11 at Pentagon
The News
President Trump plans to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at the Pentagon rather than at Ground Zero in New York, according to reporting Thursday by The New York Times and the New York Post.
The Times reported that Trump originally intended to mark the anniversary with remarks at Ground Zero, but the memorial's organizers do not allow speeches at the ceremony. He changed his plans after that.
Mediaite, citing the Times report, said logistics surrounding an upcoming golf trip also factored into the decision.
Timeline
Terrorists strike the World Trade Center and the Pentagon; the coming anniversary is the 25th.
The New York Times reports that Trump, who had wanted to speak at Ground Zero, will instead mark the anniversary elsewhere because the memorial bars speeches.
The New York Post reports that Trump plans to commemorate the anniversary at the Pentagon next month.
Reactions
The White House has not publicly announced the president's Sept. 11 schedule, and none of the three reports carried on-the-record comment from Trump or his aides about the change.
The Ground Zero ceremony's long-standing format, cited by the Times as the reason for the switch, reserves the program for the reading of victims' names and moments of silence rather than political remarks.
What's Next
The 25th anniversary falls on Friday, Sept. 11, 2026. Expect the White House to confirm the Pentagon event and its timing in the days ahead, and expect New York's ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial to proceed under its usual no-speeches rule.
More
Presidents have historically rotated among the three attack sites — Ground Zero, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pennsylvania — for anniversary observances. The reporting so far does not indicate whether any administration official will attend the New York ceremony in Trump's place.
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