Trump says he'll visit Pentagon, not NYC, to mark 25 years since 9/11

President Trump announced he will not attend the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in New York City, instead choosing to visit the Pentagon. When asked about his absence from New York, Trump explained, "Because I'm going to the Pentagon." Vice President Kamala Harris is set to visit New York on September 11.

The commemoration will take place at three sites: the Pentagon, the World Trade Center site in Manhattan, and the field in Pennsylvania where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed. Trump, originally from Queens, last attended the Ground Zero ceremony in 2024 during his presidential campaign alongside then-President Joe Biden and then-Vice President Harris.

He did not attend last year's ceremony, although he did attend a New York Yankees game honoring the victims. Trump has previously spoken about his personal experiences witnessing the attacks, vowing to remember the victims, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the first responders. The New York Times first reported Trump would skip the Manhattan ceremony.

During his first term, Trump did not attend the Manhattan ceremony, instead honoring victims at the Pentagon or Flight 93 National Memorial. In 2021, he visited New York City police officers and firefighters. Trump's absence from the Manhattan ceremony is not a first; he has skipped it in other years, such as in 2016 when he was running against Hillary Clinton.

Former Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush, along with their respective spouses, Laura and Barbara, are confirmed to attend the New York ceremony.