Trump skips Ground Zero as America marks 25 years since 9/11
NEW YORK — New York is marking 25 years since the September 11 terrorist attacks with families gathering at Ground Zero to remember nearly 3,000 people killed, while US President Donald Trump is notably absent from the ceremony in his home city.
Trump instead chose to commemorate the anniversary at the Pentagon, another of the sites attacked on September 11, 2001. Vice President JD Vance is representing the administration in New York, alongside former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden.
The anniversary marks a quarter of a century since al-Qaeda hijackers seized four passenger aircraft in attacks that transformed American foreign policy, aviation security and the country’s approach to terrorism.
Two aircraft struck the World Trade Center towers in New York, another hit the Pentagon and United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers and crew attempted to regain control. A total of 2,977 victims were killed in the attacks.
At Ground Zero, family members are reading the names of those who died, continuing a tradition that has remained at the centre of the annual commemoration. Seven moments of silence are being observed to mark the attacks, collapse of the towers and those who subsequently died from illnesses linked to exposure to toxic material after 9/11.
Trump’s absence has attracted particular attention because he is the only native New Yorker among the five living US presidents.
He had initially considered attending the Ground Zero commemoration but shifted his plans to the Pentagon. The New York ceremony traditionally does not allow political speeches, while Trump is expected to deliver remarks at the Pentagon.
His decision does not mean the President is staying away from the anniversary commemorations. Trump issued a proclamation declaring 11 September Patriot Day 2026 and earlier this week attended a Washington event honouring first responders, where he posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, who became known for helping people escape the World Trade Center before he was killed.
The 25th anniversary also comes as the consequences of the attacks extend increasingly beyond those killed that morning. Hundreds of first responders and others exposed to toxic debris have subsequently died from related illnesses, while thousands continue to live with health conditions associated with the disaster.
September 11 also reshaped the world far beyond New York. The attacks led to the US led war in Afghanistan, contributed to the wider “war on terror”, transformed airport security and surveillance and helped define American foreign policy for much of the following two decades.
A generation has now reached adulthood with no personal memory of the attacks.
For the families gathering where the Twin Towers once stood, however, the anniversary remains intensely personal. Twenty five years later, the names of those killed are again being read at Ground Zero, preserving the central promise that has accompanied every September 11 anniversary since the attacks: that those who died will not be forgotten.
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