25 Years After 9/11: Trump Skips New York Ceremony As Muslim Mayor Faces Backlash
NEW YORK — The United States on Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks with solemn ceremonies across the country, as political controversy overshadowed the main remembrance event in New York.
At Ground Zero in Manhattan, families of victims, survivors, first responders and political leaders gathered to commemorate the nearly 3,000 people killed when hijacked aircraft struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
The New York ceremony featured the traditional reading of the victims’ names and moments of silence marking key events of the attacks. For the first time, a moment of silence was also dedicated to people who later died from illnesses linked to exposure to toxic dust following the attacks.
President Donald Trump, however, did not attend the Ground Zero ceremony. Instead, he travelled to the Pentagon in Virginia, where he participated in a separate commemoration honouring the 184 people killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the military headquarters.
Vice President JD Vance represented the Trump administration at the New York ceremony, joining former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden in a rare gathering of current and former national leaders.
Trump’s absence drew attention because of the significance of the anniversary and his long-standing connection to New York. Reports said his decision was partly linked to his desire to speak publicly, while the Ground Zero ceremony traditionally does not feature political speeches.
The New York ceremony was also surrounded by controversy over the attendance of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor.
Mamdani attended despite calls from some critics, including former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and other right-wing figures, for him to stay away from the commemoration. Critics cited concerns over past statements by some of Mamdani’s political associates and sought to make his presence an issue at an event intended to remember the victims of the attacks.
Mamdani rejected the criticism and maintained that the anniversary should focus on the victims, their families, first responders, survivors and New Yorkers who came together in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Ahead of the anniversary, he declared September 11 a citywide “Day of Remembrance and Service,” while his administration also announced measures aimed at strengthening emergency preparedness and continuity of government operations.
The controversy surrounding Mamdani highlighted one of the enduring legacies of September 11: the rise in suspicion, discrimination and political tension involving Muslim Americans following the attacks.
At Ground Zero, however, the ceremony remained primarily focused on remembrance. Families read the names of those killed, many of them recalling loved ones whose lives ended suddenly on what had been an ordinary September morning 25 years ago.
The attacks transformed American foreign policy, security and domestic politics, triggering the “war on terror,” the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq and sweeping changes to national security practices.
The human cost has also continued long after September 11, 2001. Hundreds of firefighters and other first responders have died from illnesses associated with the toxic exposure at Ground Zero, adding another painful dimension to the anniversary.
As the United States paused to remember a quarter-century later, the ceremonies offered both a tribute to those lost and a reflection on the profound political, social and security changes that followed one of the darkest days in American history.
