Why Trump Is Skipping the Ground Zero 9/11 Ceremony This Year
President Trump will not attend this year's 9/11 anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero, opting instead to mark the day with remarks at the Pentagon, according to multiple reports citing people familiar with the plans.
A Change of Plans
Trump's team had reportedly signaled early on that he intended to travel to New York for the milestone 25th anniversary, with advance staff even conducting site visits at the World Trade Center in recent weeks. But those plans shifted after organizers reminded the White House of a long-standing rule: the National September 11 Memorial and Museum has barred elected officials and politicians from speaking at the Ground Zero ceremony since 2012, a policy put in place to keep the annual event nonpartisan.
Trump wanted to deliver formal remarks at the ceremony — something the memorial's rules don't allow. Politicians who attend the New York event are expected to observe rather than speak, with the reading of victims' names left to their families.
Pentagon Instead of Ground Zero
With that request denied, Trump will instead mark the anniversary at the Pentagon, which was also struck during the 2001 attacks and where sitting presidents are permitted to speak. Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend the Ground Zero ceremony in New York in Trump's place, joining other dignitaries reportedly expected to include former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
The White House did not directly confirm the speech request but defended the president's plans in a statement. Spokesperson Anna Kelly said Trump has spoken about his own experience witnessing the events of September 11, 2001, and that his remarks this year will honor those killed and the first responders who risked their lives that day.
A Notable Shift
The move is a departure from past years. Trump, a native New Yorker, has attended the Manhattan ceremony before, including in 2024, when he appeared alongside then-President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris. This year's decision to skip the New York event in favor of a venue where he can speak freely has drawn attention given that history.
Reports also note a logistical factor: Trump is scheduled to travel to Ireland the following day, and departing from New York City was seen as adding complications to that trip.
Trump's Original 9/11 Reaction Resurfaces
This isn't the first time Trump's relationship to September 11 has drawn scrutiny. Hours after the attacks in 2001, Trump, then a real estate developer, called into New York station WWOR and was asked about his nearby building at 40 Wall Street. Rather than focusing on the unfolding tragedy, Trump noted that with the World Trade Center destroyed, his building was now the tallest in downtown Manhattan — a claim that was later found to be inaccurate, since another nearby building was actually taller.
The comment has resurfaced repeatedly in the years since, often cited by critics as an example of poor timing and self-promotion in the immediate aftermath of the attacks. It has continued to circulate on the anniversary of 9/11 in the years Trump has been a public political figure, frequently reappearing in the same news cycle as his official commemorations of the day.
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