All Four Former Presidents Will Gather at Ground Zero for 9/11’s 25th, But Without Trump

Joe Biden, Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton will gather at Ground Zero in New York City to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks. The extraordinary bipartisan gathering will bring every living former U.S. president together at the World Trade Center site for one of America’s most significant commemorations.

One prominent figure will be absent from the historic New York gathering: Trump. The sitting president has decided not to attend the Ground Zero ceremony alongside his four predecessors. Instead, Trump will commemorate September 11 at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, where he is expected to deliver formal remarks honoring victims and first responders.

Trump’s team had initially conducted advance planning connected to a possible appearance at Ground Zero. According to reporting about preparations for the anniversary, his representatives subsequently conveyed that Trump wanted to deliver formal remarks during the ceremony. Memorial organizers rejected the speaking request, and the president’s plans ultimately shifted away from New York and toward the Pentagon.

Trump has pushed back against reports suggesting the rejection of his requested speaking role influenced his decision to skip Ground Zero. The president argued publicly that he is comfortable «not to speak» during solemn commemorations. His administration has consequently disputed the portrayal of the itinerary change as being primarily driven by disagreement over a speech.

White House officials have offered another explanation for Trump’s absence, pointing to security considerations involving the president and vice president attending the same densely populated public gathering. Vice President JD Vance will represent the administration at Ground Zero, while Trump attends the Pentagon ceremony, effectively dividing the administration’s participation between two sites attacked on September 11.

The restriction preventing Trump from delivering remarks was not created specifically for him. Since 2012, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum has maintained a policy barring political speeches during the anniversary ceremony. The rule is intended to preserve the solemn, nonpartisan character of the commemoration and prevent political messaging from overshadowing victims and their families.

Rather than featuring addresses from politicians, the Ground Zero ceremony centers on the reading of the names of the 2,977 people killed in the September 11 attacks. Biden, Obama, Bush and Clinton will appear under the same speaking restrictions that would have applied to Trump, keeping the ceremony focused on victims, survivors, families and first responders.

The presence of all four living former presidents will nevertheless provide a remarkable image of political continuity and bipartisan remembrance. Biden, Obama, Bush and Clinton represent different administrations, political eras and parties, yet their joint appearance at Ground Zero will symbolize national solidarity on an anniversary that continues to carry enormous historical and emotional significance across the United States.

The 25th anniversary also represents an important generational milestone. Millions of younger Americans now have no personal memory of September 11, 2001, transforming the attacks increasingly from lived experience into history. For those who witnessed the tragedy firsthand, particularly New Yorkers, the anniversary will revive vivid memories of destruction, rescue efforts and the enormous national response that followed.

Although Trump will miss the New York gathering, he will still participate in official commemorations at another location directly struck during the attacks. At the Pentagon, where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed on September 11, Trump is expected to deliver a speech honoring those killed and the first responders whose actions became central to the nation’s remembrance.

The unusual split has inevitably generated debate over politics surrounding what is intended to be a moment of national unity. Yet Ground Zero’s long-standing rules remain designed to prevent political personalities from dominating the anniversary. Twenty-five years later, the ceremony’s central purpose remains unchanged: remembering the 2,977 victims and ensuring their names and stories endure for future generations.