Families of victims and survivors of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks gathered at the World Trade Center memorial on its 25th anniversary, using the occasion to call on former President Donald Trump to release unredacted files they believe could implicate Saudi Arabia. The families contend that successive administrations have protected the kingdom instead of supporting their pursuit of justice.
"Administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families," said Terry Strada, whose husband was killed in the attacks, speaking from the memorial stage. "They withheld evidence. They vetoed JASTA. They broke promises, both public and private. It has been one betrayal after another."
Strada directly appealed to Trump, stating, "President Trump can still change that." She urged him to convey to Saudi leaders that "if they want to be friends with the USA, they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we have all been suffering through."
Vice President JD Vance attended the ceremony, alongside former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden, and Bill Clinton, as well as former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former Governor Andrew Cuomo were also present.
Dennis McGinley, whose brother worked in the South Tower, echoed Strada's sentiments. "Administration after administration has not done anything for us. In fact, they've blocked, blocked us every step of the way of getting justice," McGinley told Fox News Digital. "President Trump has a unique, historic opportunity here to be a hero, be our champion, finally close the books on this American nightmare, which is now becoming an American embarrassment."
The families' renewed push for accountability centers on Saudi Arabia's alleged role in helping two of the hijackers establish themselves in the United States. While the kingdom has consistently denied involvement, the families point to connections involving Omar al-Bayoumi, a Saudi national who assisted hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar, and Fahad al-Thumairy, a Saudi diplomat and imam who had extensive contact with al-Bayoumi. The 9/11 Commission documented these connections but did not conclude that the Saudi government supported the plot.
In August 2025, U.S. District Judge George Daniels permitted claims against Saudi Arabia to proceed toward trial, citing sufficient evidence presented by the families. This ruling does not determine Saudi Arabia's responsibility for the attacks. The families believe that this legal development, combined with additional intelligence materials, provides Trump with an opportunity to release more records and resolve what they perceive as a 25-year-old betrayal.
Horace Robert Passananti, whose father died in the North Tower, described the ongoing delays in the case as "a twilight zone." He stated, "We’ve really been on our own, the families, trying to obtain evidence. We’ve gotten really no help from our government. We feel like they’ve put Saudi Arabia ahead of the 9/11 families, and we’re hoping that will change."
Trump himself has previously acknowledged unanswered questions surrounding the attacks. In 2022, he commented on the controversy surrounding a Saudi-backed golf tournament, saying, "Nobody has gotten to the bottom of 9/11." However, he has not publicly stated his position on releasing further files related to Saudi Arabia's alleged ties to the hijackers.
Among those present at the memorial were also relatives of first responders who later died from illnesses linked to toxic exposure from the site. Jen Nilsen, whose husband died in the attacks, emphasized the enduring pain: "It doesn’t change at the 25th year. The pain is still there. ... Never forget."