President Donald Trump marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks at the Pentagon on Friday instead of joining the Ground Zero ceremony in New York City. Vice President JD Vance attended the New York event with former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
Trump’s decision drew attention because he is a New York native and had attended the ceremony before. The New York Times reported that his wish to speak at the memorial was one reason he chose the Pentagon. Trump rejected that explanation and said he was asked to speak in Washington instead.
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Why Donald Trump chose Pentagon over New York 9/11 ceremony?
According to The New York Times, Trump had wanted to deliver remarks at the Ground Zero ceremony, but the annual event does not allow politicians or public officials to give speeches. That reportedly played a part in his decision to attend the Pentagon, where he was scheduled to speak.
Trump disputed that account on Truth Social. He wrote, “I’m not going to the World Trade Center, in New York City, because they won’t let me make a speech, and I’m going to the Pentagon in D.C., because I’m a featured speaker. This is more Corrupt News, I’ve been to New York many times over the years, and no one ever speaks, it’s a ‘solemn ceremony!’”
{{/usCountry}}Trump disputed that account on Truth Social. He wrote, “I’m not going to the World Trade Center, in New York City, because they won’t let me make a speech, and I’m going to the Pentagon in D.C., because I’m a featured speaker. This is more Corrupt News, I’ve been to New York many times over the years, and no one ever speaks, it’s a ‘solemn ceremony!’”
{{/usCountry}}The White House had already confirmed that Trump would commemorate the anniversary at the Pentagon, while JD Vance would represent the administration in New York.
JD Vance joins Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden
While Trump stayed in Washington, JD Vance attended the Ground Zero ceremony in Manhattan. He was joined by all four living former presidents: Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
The gathering marked a rare moment in which current and former presidents stood together in New York to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed in the attacks. Trump had attended the New York ceremony in 2024, when he appeared alongside Biden and then-Vice President Kamala Harris.
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Donald Trump’s new 9/11 firefighter claim faces questions
Trump’s absence from New York came days after he made a new claim about what happened to him near Ground Zero after the attacks.
He said, “We thought it was coming down on top of us, and two firemen, big strong guys. And I’m not the smallest guy in the world. They grabbed me under the arm, said, ‘Got to get out of here.’ And they literally lifted me up. I said, ‘Fellas, I can run myself,’ but they were amazing.”
The White House has not provided evidence that the incident happened. PolitiFact also found no evidence that Trump was carried by firefighters, although there were documented concerns about a nearby building’s stability after 9/11.