Political leaders, victims’ families, survivors, and citizens across the United States gathered on Friday to mark a quarter-century since the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001. The nationwide commemorations honored the nearly 3,000 people killed when hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a field in Pennsylvania.
Nation Reflects on 25th Anniversary of Sept. 11 Attacks
In New York City, the annual observance at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan brought together all living former U.S. presidents, Vice President JD Vance, and victims’ family members. The ceremony commenced at 8:46 a.m. ET with a moment of silence marking the exact time American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
Family members subsequently spent about four hours reading aloud the names of the 2,977 people who died on Sept. 11, alongside the six individuals killed in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. For the first time, the ceremony included a seventh moment of silence dedicated to honoring the thousands of individuals who have died since 2001 from illnesses linked to toxic dust exposure. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the memorial events and interacted with former Mayor Rudy Giuliani.
Ceremonies at the Pentagon and Shanksville
President Trump delivered remarks at the Pentagon, where a pillar of smoke had risen 25 years prior. Other administration officials traveled to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to attend a separate ceremony honoring the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93.
The National Park Service held a commemorative event starting at 1 p.m. at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stonycreek Township, near Shanksville. Flight 93 crashed in a field at 10:03 a.m. on Sept. 11, 2001, killing all 33 passengers and seven crew members. Evidence showed that passengers stormed the cockpit to prevent the terrorists from flying the plane into its intended target in Washington, D.C.
Former lawmakers and current officials also marked the anniversary at the U.S. Capitol. An event organized by the Association of Former Members of Congress featured speeches on the House steps by former Rep. Jane Harman, D-Calif., former Rep. Tim Roemer, D-Ind., former Rep. Larry Bucshon, R-Ind., former Rep. Derek Kilmer, D-Wash., and current Rep. Glenn F. Ivey, D-Md. At 8:46 a.m., a bell rang out from the U.S. Capitol Police alert system to initiate a campus-wide moment of silence.
Declassification of Intelligence Reports
Marking the milestone anniversary, the Central Intelligence Agency released 71 intelligence reports from the months and years preceding the attacks. According to CIA Director John Ratcliffe, the disclosure represents the single largest release of CIA analysis related to 9/11 ever.
The newly public documents include 70 assessments prepared for the President’s Daily Brief before the 2001 attacks, as well as one report issued the day after. The records detail what the spy agency communicated to two presidents regarding al Qaeda and Osama bin Laden prior to the strikes. Only two of the documents had previously been made public during the investigation conducted by the 9/11 Commission.
