Donald Trump will mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at the Pentagon instead of Ground Zero in New York City. The president wanted to give remarks during the anniversary event, according to people briefed on his plans. The change comes as the New York ceremony follows a long-standing rule that keeps politicians from speaking. Vice President JD Vance will be attending the ceremony in New York.
Trump won’t attend after his speech wish conflicted with 9/11 ceremony’s nonpartisan rules
Trump’s team first considered having him attend the ceremony at Ground Zero, according to CNN. Trump, however, told his team that he wanted to speak at the event. The National September 11 Memorial and Museum has kept the ceremony nonpartisan and has not allowed politicians to speak there since 2012. The New York Times first reported Trump’s plan to skip the ceremony and speak at the Pentagon.
White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told CNN that Trump remains deeply connected to the tragedy as a proud New Yorker. She said he will remember those who died, honor their loved ones and pay tribute to first responders. Trump will visit the Pentagon, where another Sept. 11 attack occurred, next month. He also spoke there during last year’s anniversary event.
Trump attended the New York memorial in 2016 as the Republican presidential nominee and again in 2024. In his first year, he addressed anniversary ceremonies at the Pentagon and the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania. In 2021, he took a tour of a Manhattan New York Police Department precinct and a Manhattan New York City Fire Department station. On the day of the 2001 attacks, Trump was in New York.
Trump’s Pentagon appearance may also make his travel schedule easier this year. He plans to leave for Ireland on Sept. 12, one day after the anniversary. Donald Trump will be heading to his golf club in Doonbeg, on Ireland’s Atlantic coast, according to a White House official. The Irish Open golf tournament will also be held there, and Vance will be the administration’s representative at Ground Zero.
This story originally appeared on Realitytea
