Trump to Mark 9/11 Anniversary at Pentagon Instead of New York Ground Zero
President Donald Trump announced on August 28, 2026, that he will mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks by visiting the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, bypassing the annual memorial ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York City.
The decision to split from the traditional Ground Zero commemoration underscores a long-standing point of contention over speaking privileges at the New York site. According to The New York Times, Trump originally intended to deliver remarks at the Twin Towers memorial footprint. However, ceremony organizers have strictly barred political figures from speaking since 2012 to maintain a nonpartisan atmosphere centered exclusively on the victims.
Trump strongly disputed that rationale in a lengthy post on Truth Social. He vowed to include the dispute in an ongoing defamation lawsuit against the publication filed the previous year. “This is more Corrupt News, I’ve been to New York many times over the years, and no one ever speaks, it’s a ‘solemn ceremony!'” Trump stated on the platform.
When reporters questioned him directly about his absence from New York during an August 28 exchange, Trump offered a direct clarification. “Because I’m going to the Pentagon,” he said.
Logistical considerations also influenced the shift in schedule. Trump is scheduled to travel to his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, to attend the Irish Open tournament.
The White House confirmed that Vice President JD Vance will travel to New York in Trump’s place to represent the administration at the Ground Zero ceremony. That event is expected to draw several notable political figures, including former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush, and Bill Clinton, alongside former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Ahead of the September 11 anniversary, Trump’s calendar places him in Dallas, Texas. He is set to address the Republican Party’s midterm convention on the evening of September 10.
The upcoming anniversary marks a solemn quarter-century milestone since the 2001 attacks, which claimed the lives of nearly 3,000 people. Official records indicate that 2,753 victims died at the World Trade Center, 184 perished at the Pentagon, and another 140 individuals lost their lives in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Trump, a native New Yorker, previously attended the Pentagon remembrance in 2025. His last appearance at the World Trade Center memorial site occurred in 2024, when he stood alongside then-President Joe Biden months ahead of the presidential election.