President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, and his 2024 running mate JD Vance, gathered on Wednesday at the New York City site of the September 11, 2001, attacks to honor the nearly 3,000 victims. The ceremony at ground zero, where hijacked planes destroyed the World Trade Center’s twin towers, did not feature any remarks, focusing instead on the reading of the victims’ names by their relatives.
The event came a day after a heated debate between Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump, her Republican rival, in Philadelphia. Despite the contentious atmosphere, Harris and Trump shook hands and conversed briefly before the commemoration began. Former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg also attended, standing between Biden and Trump.
Following the New York ceremony, Biden and Harris planned visits to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Flight 93 passengers thwarted hijackers, causing the plane to crash in a field, and the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., which was also attacked. In an early morning statement, Biden reflected on the resilience shown in the aftermath of the attacks, stating, “In the darkest of hours, we found light. And in the face of fear, we came together – to defend our country, and to help one another.”
Trump, who also planned to visit the Pennsylvania memorial, described the day as “very, very sad” in a Fox News interview. Biden issued a proclamation honoring the victims and the countless Americans who enlisted in the military following the attacks, acknowledging their service in Afghanistan, Iraq, and other conflict zones, as well as the eventual capture and killing of Osama bin Laden.
On Tuesday, US congressional leaders posthumously awarded the Congressional Gold Medal to 13 service members killed in the August 26, 2021, suicide bombing at Kabul’s airport during the US withdrawal from Afghanistan, further commemorating the sacrifices of the 9/11 Generation.
