Trump Skips Ground Zero Ceremony As New York Remembers 9/11 Victims

• Trump chose the Pentagon over Ground Zero on the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, while other political leaders gathered in New York
• New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the Ground Zero ceremony despite a petition with over 100,000 signatures calling on him to stay away
• The memorial honoured 2,977 victims killed in the attacks, with family members reading out names and bells marking key moments

UNITED STATES — President Donald Trump was absent from the Ground Zero memorial in New York on 11 September 2026, as the city marked 25 years since the deadliest terrorist attack on American soil.

While Vice President JD Vance and all four of Trump's living predecessors — George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Joe Biden and Bill Clinton — convened at the World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, Trump travelled to the Pentagon to pay his respects at the location where one of the hijacked aircraft struck in 2001.

Ground Zero ceremony remains apolitical

The New York commemoration began shortly after 8:40 a.m. and was deliberately kept free of political speeches. Instead, relatives of those killed took turns reading out the names of victims, while bells were rung to mark critical moments from the day of the attacks.

A drone display held over New York Harbour ahead of the ceremony featured exactly 2,977 lights, each one representing a person who died in the attacks.

Mamdani's presence draws controversy

New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani also attended the ceremony at Ground Zero, despite calls from prominent right-wing voices urging him to stay away. Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, faced criticism from former mayor Rudy Giuliani and the New York Post, among others. A petition demanding he skip the event gathered more than 100,000 signatures, with critics alleging that he had associated with individuals dismissive of American institutions and insufficiently critical of extremist ideologies.

City council member Shahana Hanif pushed back against the backlash, expressing concern that Mamdani was being singled out because of his religion.

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Remembering those lost on 11 September 2001

The attacks were carried out by 19 Al-Qaeda operatives who hijacked four commercial passenger aircraft. Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Centre, a third struck the Pentagon, and a fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers onboard resisted the hijackers.

The death toll from the day of the attacks stands at 2,977. Decades later, the consequences have continued to mount, with more than 9,400 additional deaths recorded from illnesses linked to the aftermath of the attacks, according to the federal programme established to provide medical care for those affected.

Drone display recreates Twin Towers in honour of 9/11

Briefly News also reported that New York City marked the 25th anniversary of the 11 September 2001 attacks with a striking aerial tribute. On 9 September 2026, a drone display lit up the sky above the city, forming the shape of the Twin Towers that once defined the Manhattan skyline. The display used exactly 2,977 drones, one for each person who lost their life in the attacks on the World Trade Centre, the Pentagon, and aboard the four hijacked flights. BBC News shared the footage on TikTok, where it quickly drew widespread attention.

Source: Briefly News