US President Donald Trump on Friday marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks with a solemn tribute to the victims and first responders, renewing what he described as America's “sacred vow” to never forget the deadliest terrorist attack on US soil.
Speaking at a remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon, one of the three sites struck on September 11, 2001, Trump paid tribute to the 2,977 people killed in the coordinated attacks and recalled the courage displayed by emergency personnel and ordinary Americans during the catastrophe.
“We will never, ever forget,” Trump said, as ceremonies were held across the United States to commemorate a quarter-century since hijacked passenger aircraft struck New York's World Trade Center and the Pentagon, while a fourth crashed near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
Trump pays tribute at Pentagon
The Pentagon ceremony commemorated the 184 people killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building. The names of those who died there were read aloud as bells tolled in their memory.
Trump said the passage of 25 years had not diminished America's obligation to remember the victims and honour those who rushed towards danger to save others.
The President recalled how firefighters, police officers, military personnel and civilians responded as the attacks unfolded, describing their actions as examples of the courage and resilience that emerged from one of the darkest days in American history.
The attacks began at 8.46 am on September 11, 2001, when American Airlines Flight 11 struck the North Tower of the World Trade Center. United Airlines Flight 175 hit the South Tower 17 minutes later. Another hijacked aircraft struck the Pentagon, while passengers aboard United Airlines Flight 93 fought back against the hijackers before the plane crashed in Pennsylvania.
Nearly 3,000 lives remembered
The attacks killed 2,977 people and fundamentally reshaped American foreign policy, national security and everyday life. They led to the US-led war in Afghanistan and ushered in sweeping changes to aviation security, intelligence gathering and counterterrorism operations.
Twenty-five years later, the consequences continue to be felt, particularly among first responders and survivors suffering from illnesses linked to toxic debris released after the World Trade Center towers collapsed.
Trump said America remained indebted to the families who had endured decades of grief and to first responders who continued to suffer from health problems associated with their service.
The anniversary carried additional significance this year as an entire generation of Americans has now grown up without a personal memory of the attacks.
Ceremonies held across US
In New York, relatives of victims gathered at the National September 11 Memorial at Ground Zero, where names of those killed were read aloud. A moment of silence was observed at 8.46 am, marking the instant the first aircraft struck the North Tower.
Vice President JD Vance attended the New York commemoration, while remembrance events were also held at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.
This year's New York ceremony included an additional moment of silence honouring people who have died from illnesses linked to exposure to toxic material following the attacks.
Trump had earlier issued a proclamation declaring September 11 Patriot Day and calling for the memory of the attacks to be passed to younger generations.
‘America will endure’
The President used the anniversary to stress that the United States must remain vigilant against terrorism and other threats, arguing that the lessons of September 11 remained relevant 25 years later.
Trump also linked the continuing fight against terrorism to present security challenges confronting the United States, saying the country would defend its people and interests against those seeking to threaten them.
The President's remarks echoed his message earlier this week during a commemoration with first responders and families in Washington, where a steel beam recovered from the wreckage of the World Trade Center's South Tower was displayed.
As America observed the milestone anniversary, Trump framed remembrance not only as a tribute to those who died but also as a commitment to preserve the resilience demonstrated in the aftermath of the attacks.
A quarter-century after the planes struck, he said, America's promise remained unchanged — the country would honour its fallen, defend its freedom and “never, ever forget”.