Trump is skipping New York’s 25th anniversary 9/11 ceremony after organizers wouldn’t let him give a speech. He’ll instead mark the day at the Pentagon, where he’ll be allowed to speak.
President Donald Trump is stepping back from the official Ground Zero ceremony marking 25 years since the September 11 attacks because organizers turned down his request to deliver a speech.
Trump’s team had originally indicated he planned to attend, with advance staff even conducting site visits in Manhattan ahead of time. That changed once memorial organizers reminded the administration of a rule that’s been in place since 2012: no elected officials or politicians are allowed to speak at the Ground Zero ceremony.
Why the rule was established
The policy came about after years of political tension surrounding the site’s rebuilding.
Organizers and victims’ families eventually agreed the annual ceremony should stay strictly solemn and nonpartisan, centered entirely on reading the names of the 2,977 people who died that day, read aloud by their surviving loved ones.
Rather than attending in New York, Trump will mark the anniversary at the Pentagon, which was also hit during the 2001 attacks. Unlike Ground Zero, the Pentagon ceremony does allow for formal remarks.
Vice President JD Vance will represent the administration at the New York ceremony instead, joining a lineup of expected attendees that includes former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama.
The White House’s response
The White House didn’t directly confirm or deny the speech request reporting, but did release a statement emphasizing Trump’s personal connection to the day.
Deputy press secretary Anna Kelly said that as a native New Yorker, Trump has spoken before about witnessing the events of 9/11 firsthand, and that this year he’ll honor those killed, their loved ones, and the first responders who risked their lives.
Trump last attended the Ground Zero ceremony in 2024, during his campaign, standing quietly alongside Vance, then-President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former Mayor Michael Bloomberg without speaking publicly.
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