Trump Says America Will Never Forget 9/11 as Nation Marks 25th Anniversary

WASHINGTON — President Donald Trump marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks at the Pentagon on Friday, delivering a message of remembrance and resolve as Americans gathered across the country to honor the nearly 3,000 people killed a quarter-century ago.

The anniversary was observed at the Pentagon, the World Trade Center site in New York City and the field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Airlines Flight 93 crashed after passengers fought back against the hijackers.

The attacks on September 11, 2001, killed 2,977 people and fundamentally changed the United States, reshaping its national security policies, foreign relations and approach to counterterrorism.

At the Pentagon, Trump emphasized that the passage of 25 years would not diminish America’s memory of those who died.

“We will never, ever forget.”

US marks 25th anniversary of 9/11 with tribute to victims of attacks.

Trump framed the anniversary not only as a day of mourning but also as a reminder of the threats the United States continues to confront.

He also recalled the sense of national unity that emerged immediately after the attacks, when political and social divisions appeared to give way to a shared sense of grief and solidarity.

“We were all New Yorkers that day. Every one of us. We were all New Yorkers. We were all family.”

The president’s remarks came as ceremonies were taking place at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan. Families of victims, survivors, first responders and public officials gathered at the site where the World Trade Center towers once stood.

The names of the victims were read aloud during the New York ceremony, continuing a tradition that has become one of the most solemn moments of the annual commemoration.

Vice President JD Vance attended the ceremony in New York, while other current and former U.S. officials joined the nationwide remembrance.

The 25th anniversary also highlighted a less visible legacy of the attacks: the thousands of first responders, recovery workers and others who have suffered serious illnesses after being exposed to toxic dust and debris at Ground Zero and other attack sites.

Former National Security Adviser Condoleezza Rice, who was serving in the Bush administration when the attacks occurred, reflected on the failure to recognize the scale of the threat before September 11.

“Those of us in authority on that day did not see the nature of the danger in time to prevent the attack of 9/11.”

For many Americans, however, the anniversary remains deeply personal. For families who lost loved ones, September 11 is not simply a historical event but a date permanently connected to names, faces and memories.

The attacks began after 19 al-Qaida terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. Two planes were flown into the World Trade Center towers in New York, another struck the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers attempted to regain control of the aircraft.

The tragedy triggered the U.S.-led war in Afghanistan, a sweeping expansion of counterterrorism operations and major changes to airport and national security procedures.

A quarter-century later, the physical landscape has changed. The World Trade Center has been rebuilt, the Pentagon has been restored and a memorial stands in Pennsylvania.

But the central message of the 25th anniversary remains unchanged: the victims are not to be forgotten.

In a 2026 proclamation marking Patriot Day, Trump reiterated that the memory of those killed must be carried forward to future generations.

“We will never forget the 2,977 precious lives taken from us.”

Twenty-five years after the attacks, the United States continues to grapple with the political, military and human consequences of 9/11. Yet across the country, the anniversary remains first and foremost a day of remembrance.

For a nation transformed by one September morning, Trump’s words captured the enduring sentiment of the commemoration:

“We will never, ever forget.”

Eid