Vice President JD Vance said Thursday he was not aware of any "special security concern" that led President Trump to miss the 25th anniversary commemoration of the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero.
Trump is scheduled to attend a remembrance event at the Pentagon instead of the ceremony in his birth city, a decision that has sparked speculation, particularly in light of reported Iranian assassination threats.
"I don’t think it’s a special security concern," Vance told The Post during a White House press briefing. He added, "Though actually, I will — we’ll follow up with Secret Service just to get you an actual answer on that. But that’s not what I’ve heard."
Vance explained that with both the president and vice president needing to be present on significant dates like 9/11, difficult decisions must be made about locations. "And so we just decided as a team that I would go to New York," he said.
This situation follows a July incident where Trump diverted from Air Force One in Ankara, Turkey, en route to the UK on a military plane after U.S. intelligence received word of a credible threat to the presidential aircraft.
All other living former presidents, including Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden, are expected to attend the ceremony in Lower Manhattan.
Vance also made a lighthearted remark about the prospect of encountering former President Biden at the event. "I’m really looking forward to hanging out with Joe Biden,” Vance joked. “I’m sure that we’ll have many, many intense intellectual conversations, and you know, it’ll be great. We’ll have a great time with Joe Biden and the other presidents.”