President Donald Trump is not expected to attend the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 attacks at Ground Zero in New York City after organizers declined to give him a speaking role.
Trump had previously been expected to attend the September 11 ceremony in Manhattan, and members of his team had reportedly discussed the possibility of him delivering remarks. But the National September 11 Memorial & Museum has maintained a longstanding policy barring political speeches during the annual ceremony in order to keep the event nonpartisan and centered on victims and their families.
The rule is not specific to Trump. Political speeches have been excluded from the Ground Zero anniversary ceremony since 2012. The event traditionally focuses on moments of silence and the reading of the names of those killed in the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Trump is now expected to commemorate the 25th anniversary at the Pentagon, where he will be able to deliver remarks. Vice President JD Vance is expected to represent the administration at the Ground Zero ceremony in Manhattan.
The 9/11 Memorial & Museum has indicated that Trump remains welcome to attend the New York ceremony despite the decision not to provide him with a speaking slot.
Trump last attended the Ground Zero ceremony in 2024 alongside then-President Joe Biden, then-Vice President Kamala Harris and other political leaders. None of them delivered remarks during the ceremony.
The September 11, 2026 commemoration will mark 25 years since nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania.
Sources: HQ News Now / X; The Independent; Mediaite; National September 11 Memorial & Museum
By NJ RADAR Team