Full Breakdown
Former Presidents Attend 9/11 25th-Anniversary While Trump Skips Ground Zero
9/2/2026, 8:59:55 PM
25th-Anniversary Attendance
All four living former U.S. presidents—Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton—have confirmed they will travel to New York City for the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Vice President J.D. Vance will represent the current administration at the ceremony. President Donald Trump will not join the New York service; instead he will attend a separate memorial at the Pentagon with first lady Melania Trump, as he did the previous year. The Pentagon attack on September 11 killed 184 victims, according to the report.
Speech Restrictions at Ground Zero
Since 2012 the National September 11 Memorial and Museum has barred politicians from delivering speeches at Ground Zero, a rule intended to keep the site nonpartisan. The Independent notes that memorial officials reminded Trump’s team of this policy, prompting the change in his itinerary.
Official Statements
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said, “On the 25th anniversary of this tragic day, the President will remember those who were killed at the hands of evil terrorists, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Americans,” — Anna Kelly, white house spokesperson She added that President Trump, “as a proud New Yorker,” will honor the victims and first responders on the anniversary.
Verbatim Quotes
Donald Trump reflected on his own 9/11 remarks from the prior year: “In America we take blows, but we never buckle. We bleed, but we do not bow, and we defy the fear, endure the flames and emerge from the crucible of every hardship stronger, prouder and greater than ever before,” — Donald Trump, which president
Upcoming Plans
After the Pentagon service, the president is scheduled to travel to Ireland for the Amgen Irish Open at his golf club, departing from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland rather than New York or New Jersey, as reported.
The arrangement underscores the continued observance of the 9/11 anniversary by former leaders, while current-administration officials adhere to longstanding memorial protocols that limit political speech at the site of the Twin Towers.
