President Trump commemorates the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon
WASHINGTON (AP) — President Donald Trump observed Friday’s 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks at a ceremony at the Pentagon by commemorating the lives lost when al-Qaida militants hijacked planes and killed nearly 3,000 people in three locations and upended American foreign policy and national security.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump listened as the names of the 184 people killed at the Pentagon that day were read aloud, a bell tolling between each. In his remarks, Trump recounted the stories of several of the victims and insisted that the moment has led to a fortification of American resolve.
“We will never, ever forget,” Trump said. “That’s why we fight today. We don’t have a choice.”
Earlier, in a downpour at daybreak, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and top military officials stood outside and watched as a giant American flag was unfurled on the building struck by one of those planes a quarter-century ago.
It was the second year in a row that Trump observed the day at the Pentagon. The president, who is originally from New York, last attended the ground zero ceremony there in 2024.
Vice President JD Vance attended the New York observance alongside former presidents, while other administration officials took part in the ceremony in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
