Trump to Mark 9/11 Anniversary at Pentagon, Skipping NYC Ceremony

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President Donald Trump will visit the Pentagon to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks, bypassing the annual remembrance ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York, according to statements confirmed on August 28, 2026. While the White House announced that Vice President JD Vance will travel to New York for the Ground Zero commemoration, Trump’s decision to stay in Washington follows a dispute over speaking privileges at the Manhattan memorial site.

The Dispute Over Speaking Privileges at Ground Zero

According to a report by The New York Times, one of the primary reasons Trump chose to bypass the New York ceremony is because he originally intended to deliver remarks at the site, but memorial organizers have barred speeches from politicians since 2012 to keep the event strictly nonpartisan and focused on the victims.

Trump strongly disputed that characterization in a lengthy post on Truth Social, vowing to include the matter in an ongoing defamation lawsuit against the newspaper filed the previous year. “This is more Corrupt News, I’ve been to New York many times over the years, and no one ever speaks, it’s a ‘solemn ceremony!'” Trump wrote. When reporters asked him about skipping the New York event on August 28, Trump simply stated, “Because I’m going to the Pentagon.”

According to The New York Times report, logistical considerations also influenced the decision. Remaining in Washington better accommodates Trump’s scheduled departure the following day for his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, where he is attending the Irish Open tournament.

Travel Schedules and Previous Attendances

The scheduling details place Trump in Dallas on the evening of September 10 to speak at the Republican Party’s midterm convention, ahead of the national anniversary. A native New Yorker, Trump previously attended the Pentagon remembrance ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, in 2025. His last appearance at the World Trade Center site occurred in 2024, when he stood alongside then-President Joe Biden months before the 2024 presidential election.

Bush, and Bill Clinton, alongside former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, according to The New York Times.

Of the nearly 3,000 victims killed in the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, 2,753 died at the World Trade Center, 184 perished at the Pentagon, and another 140 individuals lost their lives in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

Upcoming Engagements and Unresolved Itineraries

Vice President JD Vance’s travel to New York remains set on the official White House schedule, while President Trump’s transit from Dallas to Washington and onward to his scheduled appearance at the Irish Open in Doonbeg, Ireland, maintains its planned trajectory.