Donald Trump is reportedly set to skip the Ground Zero commemorations in New York marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
The president, a New York native who built his real estate brand in the city, has been a familiar presence at 9/11 memorial events over the years.
But in 2026, he is expected to honor the victims for the second year in a row at a Pentagon remembrance ceremony after being denied a speaking role at the New York event, according to The New York Times.
Trump had sought to deliver remarks at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum, and his aides had reportedly conducted advance planning visits ahead of the anniversary.
Sources told the outlet that organizers at the museum are determined to keep the solemn ceremony free from partisan politics, noting that elected officials have not been permitted to speak there since 2012.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend the New York 9/11 memorial ceremony on behalf of the Trump administration, while former Presidents Bill Clinton, Barack Obama and George W. Bush are also anticipated to be there.
Trump is scheduled to return to Washington after attending the Republican Party’s midterm convention in Texas two days before September 11.
As he did the previous year, Trump is expected to speak at the Pentagon’s September 11 ceremony, where political leaders are still allowed to deliver addresses.
Donald Trump will not attend ceremonies commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terror attacks at Ground Zero in New York
Multiple sources said that the museum’s ultimate goal is to avoid any partisanship at the ceremonies, with politicians banned from speaking since 2012
He will then leave the country for Ireland to visit his golf course where the Irish Open is being held.
His flight would be significantly easier on local air traffic going out of Joint Base Andrews in Maryland than from any of the New York-area airports.
In a statement to the Times, White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly emphasized a remembrance of the victims but made no reference to the President’s specific plans.
Our News Outlet has reached out to the White House for further comment.
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The President also commemorated September 11 at the Pentagon last year, in a ceremony that was moved into the internal courtyard after the assassination of Charlie Kirk.
Trump pledged to always honor those who died on 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.
The last time Trump attended the Ground Zero ceremony was in 2024 , when he was in the same company as Kamala Harris, as the two shared an awkward handshake
While he did not attend the memorial last year, Trump did go to New York afterward, as he attended a Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium
‘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,’ he added.
Trump did go to New York afterward, as he attended a Major League Baseball game between the New York Yankees and Detroit Tigers at Yankee Stadium.
The last time Trump attended the Ground Zero ceremony was in 2024, when he was in the same company as Kamala Harris, as the two shared an awkward handshake.
Trump and Harris appeared cordial at Ground Zero as they met for a second time in 24 hours following the first debate between the two, even sharing the handshake which was facilitated by Republican-turned-Democratic former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
Harris stood alongside President Joe Biden during the ceremony while Bloomberg acted as a buffer separating the current administration from Trump and his running mate Vance. Trump allegedly complimented Harris’s debate performance.
The attendance by Trump, Biden and Harris is rare and marks one of the few times the former president and current president have been in the same space.
The three would not be in the same space again until Trump’s second inauguration in Washington just four months later.
