Trump will not attend 25th anniversary of 9/11 at Ground Zero, report says he opted against move because he can’t give speech
President Donald Trump will not attend the 25th anniversary ceremony marking the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks at Ground Zero in Manhattan.
Trump reportedly decided against traveling to New York after learning he would not be permitted to deliver remarks at the site, three people familiar with the discussions told the newspaper. Instead, he is expected to mark the anniversary with a speech at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where he addressed the nation on September 11, 2025.
Background on the decision
Trump had expressed interest in speaking at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in recent weeks. His team also conducted advance site visits to Ground Zero while preparing for a possible appearance, two people familiar with the planning told the paper.
However, elected officials have been barred from delivering speeches at the Ground Zero ceremony since 2012. The memorial and museum has maintained the policy to keep the commemoration focused on victims’ families rather than politics.
CNN reported that two people briefed on the plans confirmed Trump is skipping the New York ceremony because he wants to give remarks, which the site’s rules do not allow.
Museum’s response
The National September 11 Memorial and Museum did not directly address Trump’s travel plans but told the New York Post that the president remains welcome at the ceremony.
The museum said the Ground Zero event has featured family members reading the names of loved ones for more than a decade. Elected officials from both parties have attended as observers over the years, including Trump.
Vance to represent administration in New York
Vice President J.D. Vance will attend the Ground Zero ceremony in Trump’s place, according to CNN, which cited sources briefed on the plans.
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and George W. Bush are also expected to attend the ceremony in Manhattan.
What the 25th anniversary ceremony will include
The commemoration will mark 25 years since the attacks that killed 2,977 people in New York City, at the Pentagon and in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The Ground Zero ceremony will include six moments of silence corresponding to the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and United Flight 93’s crash in Shanksville.
Family members of victims will also read the names of those who died, continuing a tradition observed since the attacks.
Trump’s travel schedule around September 11
Trump is scheduled to return to Washington from the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Texas in the days before September 11.
After his Pentagon remarks, he is expected to travel to Ireland to visit his golf property in Doonbeg, where the Irish Open is being held.
A departure from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland would create fewer air traffic complications than a flight from a New York-area airport, a factor that reportedly influenced the scheduling.
White House statement
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly addressed the anniversary in a statement to The New York Times but did not confirm or deny Trump’s specific travel plans. Kelly said Trump would honor the victims, their families and the first responders who risked their lives during the attacks.
Trump’s Pentagon remarks in 2025
Trump also commemorated September 11 at the Pentagon in 2025. The ceremony was moved to the building’s internal courtyard following the assassination of conservative activist Charlie Kirk one day earlier.
Trump opened his remarks by addressing what he called the horror and grief many Americans felt over Kirk’s killing before pledging to honor those who died in the 2001 attacks.
He said the nation would defend the values upheld by those who served and preserve the American way of life for future generations. Trump later announced that Kirk would receive a posthumous honor.
After the Pentagon ceremony, Trump traveled to Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to attend a Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers.
Trump’s last Ground Zero appearance
Trump’s most recent appearance at the Ground Zero ceremony came on September 11, 2024, when he attended alongside then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
The two shook hands in an encounter facilitated by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who had switched his party affiliation from Republican to Democrat. The meeting came roughly 24 hours after Trump and Harris faced each other in their first presidential debate.
Then-President Joe Biden stood alongside Harris, while Bloomberg positioned himself between the sitting administration and Trump’s delegation, which included his running mate, Vance.
Trump reportedly complimented Harris’ debate performance during the encounter.
The joint appearance by Trump, Biden and Harris was a rare instance of the three appearing together. They next appeared together at Trump’s second presidential inauguration in Washington roughly four months later.