9/11 Widow Confronts Bush, Obama and Biden at 25th Anniversary Memorial Over Alleged Saudi Cover-Up

Summary: During the 25th-anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero on September 11, 2026, Terry Strada, the widow of 9/11 victim Tom Strada and national chair of 9/11 Families United, publicly accused former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden of protecting Saudi Arabia instead of standing with the victims' families. She alleged that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia played a role in supporting the hijackers and called for President Donald Trump to release classified documents implicating the kingdom.

Widow Accuses Former Presidents of Prioritizing Saudi Ties

At the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan on Friday, Terry Strada delivered remarks that sharply challenged the U.S. government's longstanding alliance with Saudi Arabia, drawing loud applause from the gathered mourners. Speaking directly in front of former Presidents Bush, Obama, and Biden, as well as Vice President JD Vance, Strada said: “For 25 years, administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families. They broke promises both public and private. It has been one betrayal after another.”

Demands for Justice and Accountability

Strada, whose husband Tom worked at Cantor Fitzgerald and was killed on the 104th floor of the North Tower, has been a leading advocate for 9/11 families seeking legal accountability regarding the attacks. During her speech, she asserted that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia "fomented a rancid culture of anti-American terrorism around the globe, and then sent its agents to support the radical Islamist hijackers so they could attack you and all of our loved ones".

She also directly addressed the current administration, urging President Trump, who was attending a separate ceremony at the Pentagon that day, to take action. “President Trump can still change that. Tell the Saudis to stop lying. Tell them that if they want to be friends with the USA, they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we have all been suffering through,” Strada said. Addressing Vice President Vance directly, she thanked him for attending and asked him to "carry that message back" to the White House.

Background and Legal Context

Fifteen of the 19 al-Qaeda hijackers were Saudi nationals, though the 9/11 Commission found no evidence that the Saudi government or senior officials funded al-Qaeda. However, a lawsuit brought by 9/11 Families United alleging that Saudi Arabia supported the attackers was allowed to proceed by a federal judge in 2025. Another relative of a victim at the ceremony also urged President Trump to "release the unredacted files that implicate Saudi Arabia while what's left of the victims' families are still alive to see it". The Trump administration has stated it is working to identify records responsive to the families' request.

Ceremony Details and Broader Observance

This year's commemoration included a new, seventh moment of silence to honor the thousands who have died from 9/11-related illnesses, following the reading of the names of the nearly 3,000 killed in the 2001 attacks. Notably, approximately 9,000 people have now died from 9/11-related illnesses, roughly three times the number killed on the day itself.

The event was attended by the four living former presidents and their spouses, with President Trump observing the anniversary at the Pentagon. The Tribute in Light art installation also returned to illuminate the Manhattan skyline that evening as a symbol of remembrance and resilience