Biden to Attend 9/11 Ground Zero Ceremony, Joining All Living Former Presidents in a Show of Unity

WASHINGTON — Former President Joe Biden will attend the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center site in New York City, a spokesperson confirmed Wednesday.

Biden and his wife, Jill, will join former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Bill Clinton at the annual reading of the victims' names at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum. Former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and former First Lady Laura Bush are also expected to be in attendance.

President Donald Trump will not be at Ground Zero, instead opting to observe the anniversary at the Pentagon, where American Airlines Flight 77 struck the building at 9:37 a.m. on that fateful morning in 2001. Vice President JD Vance will represent the administration at the New York ceremony.

A Rare Gathering of Commanders-in-Chief

The convergence of all living former presidents at the Manhattan memorial — with the exception of the sitting president — underscores the enduring significance of the attacks that reshaped U.S. foreign and domestic policy for a generation.

For the families of the 2,977 victims, the presence of the commanders-in-chief offers a moment of national unity, though organizers have long maintained that the ceremony itself remains strictly nonpolitical. Since 2012, speakers at Ground Zero have been limited to family members reading names aloud, with elected officials barred from delivering remarks.

"The day belongs to those we lost and those who continue to carry their memory," said a memorial foundation spokesperson. "We are honored that so many of our nation's leaders choose to be present in a spirit of remembrance and respect."

Trump's Separate Observance

President Trump, who attended the Manhattan ceremony alongside Biden in 2024, will mark the anniversary at the Pentagon with defense officials and Gold Star families. Earlier this week, Trump delivered remarks at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., where he praised first responders and reiterated the nation's resilience in the face of terror.

White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters that the president's decision to attend the Pentagon ceremony was "a matter of logistics and tradition," and that he "holds the deepest respect for the memory of every life lost on 9/11."

A Solemn Milestone

The 25th anniversary arrives at a time of reflection for a nation still grappling with the long-term consequences of the attacks — from the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security and the ongoing evolution of global counterterrorism efforts.

For the families who gather each year at the reflecting pools where the Twin Towers once stood, the ceremony remains a deeply personal ritual. As has become custom, six moments of silence will be observed at the precise times each of the four hijacked planes crashed and when each tower fell.

"This is not about politics," said one family member who has attended every anniversary since 2002. "It's about remembering who we were, who we lost, and who we still are."

The ceremony is scheduled to begin at 8:30 a.m. ET on Friday, September 11, with the first moment of silence at 8:46 a.m., marking the moment American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower