New York is preparing ceremonies for the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks. President Donald Trump will reportedly not attend the gathering at Ground Zero, The New York Times reported.
The newspaper said Trump wanted to give remarks at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum. His team had even made advance visits to the site, according to the report.
Multiple sources told the Times that the museum aims to keep the ceremonies free of partisanship. Politicians have been banned from speaking there since 2012, those sources said.
Vice President Vance will attend the New York ceremony in Trump’s place
Vice President JD Vance is expected to represent the Trump administration at the Ground Zero event instead. Former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush are also expected to attend.
Trump is scheduled to return to Washington from the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Texas two days before September 11. He plans to speak at the Pentagon ceremony, where politicians are still allowed to give addresses, as he did last year, according to the report.
White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly gave a statement to the Times that focused on remembering the victims. The statement made no mention of the president’s specific plans. The Daily Mail said it had reached out to the White House for further comment. The newspaper cited in that report has also been involved in other disputes with the White House, including a Trump administration lawsuit against The New York Times.
After the Pentagon event, Trump is expected to leave the country for Ireland. He plans to visit his golf course there while the Irish Open is being held. The Times noted that a flight from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland would be easier on local air traffic than one from New York-area airports.
Last year, Trump marked September 11 at the Pentagon. That ceremony was moved into the internal courtyard after the assassination of Charlie Kirk, the report said. Trump pledged to honor those who died that day.
“We will defend the nation they served, the values they upheld and the freedom for which they died,” he said. “We will support our troops, we will protect our families, and we will preserve the American way of life for every future generation.”
He added, “We will build taller, grow stronger, fight harder and soar higher, and together we will go forward as one people with one heart, one faith, one flag and one glorious destiny under almighty God.”
After last year’s Pentagon ceremony, Trump went to New York and attended a Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and the Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium. The last time he attended the Ground Zero ceremony was in 2024.
He appeared there with Kamala Harris, and the two shared a handshake that reports described as awkward. Former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg helped arrange the handshake. Harris stood with President Joe Biden during that ceremony, while Bloomberg stood between the two groups.
Trump allegedly complimented Harris on her debate performance. That 2024 gathering was one of the few times Trump and Biden were in the same place until Trump’s second inauguration in Washington four months later. Separate reporting has also described subpoenas of New York Times journalists.
Published: Aug 29, 2026 11:00 am