Leaders Commemorate 23 Years Since 9/11 Attacks

Top U.S. leaders, including President Biden, Vice President Harris, and former President Trump, gathered to commemorate the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Relatives read the victims' names at Ground Zero. The leaders later planned visits to memorial sites in Pennsylvania and at the Pentagon.

President Joe Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris joined former President Donald Trump and his 2024 running mate, JD Vance, on Wednesday to mark the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, attacks. The ceremony took place at New York's Ground Zero, where hijacked planes crashed and claimed nearly 3,000 lives. No official speeches were scheduled for the event, though relatives of the victims read aloud the names of the deceased.

The commemoration came a day after a heated debate in Philadelphia between Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump, her Republican rival. Despite their political differences, Harris and Trump shared a handshake and brief conversation before aligning themselves for the solemn remembrance.

Also present was former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, who stood between Biden and Trump. Following the Ground Zero ceremony, Biden and Harris planned trips to Shanksville, Pennsylvania—where heroes aboard United Flight 93 thwarted hijackers' plans—and the Pentagon, another site targeted during the 9/11 attacks.

In an early morning statement, Biden reflected on the indomitable spirit of Americans in the face of terrorism: "On this day 23 years ago, terrorists believed they could break our will and bring us to our knees. They were wrong. They will always be wrong. In the darkest of hours, we found light. And in the face of fear, we came together—to defend our country, and to help one another." Trump also expressed his sorrow to Fox News, calling the attacks a "very, very sad, horrible day."

Biden issued a proclamation to honor the victims and the numerous Americans who served in the military after the attacks, underscoring their sacrifice in conflicts like Afghanistan and Iraq. He noted the capture and killing of 9/11 mastermind Osama bin Laden as pivotal achievements. In a related event on Tuesday, U.S. congressional leaders awarded posthumous Congressional Gold Medals to 13 service members killed during the U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan on August 26, 2021.