Trump to Skip Ground Zero Ceremony on 9/11 Anniversary

President Trump will not attend the 25th anniversary ceremony of the September 11 attacks at Ground Zero. Reports indicate this decision is due to a denial of his request to deliver a speech at the event.

Instead of attending in lower Manhattan, Trump plans to join a ceremony at the Pentagon where he will give a speech. Vice President JD Vance will represent him at the New York event.

The choice to miss the main national ceremony, marking 25 years since the terror attacks, came recently. Leaders of the National September 11 Memorial and Museum reportedly turned down Trump’s request to speak. The organization strives to keep these commemorations nonpartisan and has restricted political speeches for over a decade.

Ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani and former presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama will join Mayor Mamdani and Vice President JD Vance at the Ground Zero ceremony.

Trump’s Pentagon speech follows his appearance at a Republican convention in Dallas on September 9 and 10. The timing suggests his speech may have political elements.

Trump also plans to travel to Ireland for the Irish Open golf tournament at his resort. In 2024, he attended the Ground Zero ceremony alongside Vance, former President Biden, and Vice President Harris during his successful presidential campaign, but did not speak publicly. He did visit a fire station and met FDNY firefighters.