US Marks 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Attacks as Trump Vows to Never Forget

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The 11 September attack.

The United States is marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, with President Donald Trump calling on Americans to remember the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives and the first responders who risked their lives to save others.

In a proclamation issued on 9 September, Trump designated 11 September 2026 as Patriot Day, describing the anniversary as a moment to renew the nation’s commitment to remembering those killed in the attacks.

“A quarter of a century has passed since the terrible day of September 11, 2001,” Trump said in the proclamation, stressing that the passage of time should not diminish the memory of the victims. 

The attacks began on the morning of 11 September 2001, when 19 al-Qaeda hijackers seized control of four commercial aeroplanes. Two were flown into the World Trade Centre’s Twin Towers in New York City, another struck the Pentagon in Virginia, and the fourth crashed in a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew attempted to regain control.

A total of 2,977 people were killed in the attacks, which became one of the defining events of the 21st century. The attacks profoundly changed US national security and foreign policy and had far-reaching consequences for international affairs.

Ahead of the anniversary, Trump attended a commemorative event at the White House Ellipse on 8 September alongside first responders, Gold Star families and representatives of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. During the ceremony, he honoured the victims and those who responded to the attacks, while renewing America’s commitment to “Never Forget”.

Trump also posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, an equities trader who helped evacuate people from the South Tower and became known as the “Man in the Red Bandana”.

On Friday, Trump is attending the main anniversary ceremony at the Pentagon, while Vice President JD Vance is taking part in commemorations in New York. Other members of the administration are participating in events at the three sites targeted in the attacks. 


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