Donald Trump is reportedly not planning to attend the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks at Ground Zero in New York for the second consecutive year.
Sources cited by The New York Times indicate that Trump wishes to deliver remarks at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. However, the museum has a policy, in place since 2012, that prohibits politicians from speaking at the event to avoid partisanship.
Instead, Trump is expected to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon, where politicians are still permitted to speak. He is scheduled to return to Washington two days prior to September 11, after attending the Republican Party's midterm convention in Texas. This marks a shift from his usual attendance at the New York event, where he has often been present in previous years as a native New Yorker and prominent real estate developer.
Vice President JD Vance is slated to represent the Trump administration at the New York ceremony. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush are also expected to be in attendance in New York.
Following the Pentagon observance, Trump is scheduled to travel to Ireland to visit his golf course, where the Irish Open is being held. The flight path from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland is noted as being more convenient for air traffic control than departing from a New York area airport.
Last year, Trump also commemorated 9/11 at the Pentagon. He has previously pledged to honor the victims of the attacks, stating, "We will defend the nation they served, the values they upheld and the freedom for which they died."
The last time Trump attended the Ground Zero ceremony was in 2024. During that event, he was seen alongside Kamala Harris, with whom he shared a handshake facilitated by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. At that time, Harris stood with President Joe Biden, and Bloomberg acted as a buffer between the current administration and Trump.
