Trump to Skip Ground Zero Ceremony Over No-Speech Rule and Golf Trip Logistics: NYT

AP Photo/Lynne Sladky

President Donald Trump is reportedly planning to skip the 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero after seeking to deliver remarks at the event, with the logistics surrounding an upcoming golf trip also factoring into the decision.

Trump’s team had previously indicated that he intended to attend the Sept. 11 commemoration in Manhattan and even conducted advance visits to the site, according to a Thursday report from The New York Times’ Maggie Haberman, Zolan Kanno-Youngs, Dana Rubinstein, and Sally Goldenberg.

But Trump also wanted to speak at the ceremony, an idea that was relayed to organizers in recent weeks, according to the Times. That presented a problem, though, as the National September 11 Memorial and Museum has prohibited politicians from delivering speeches at the annual commemoration since 2012 in an effort to keep the event nonpartisan and centered on victims and their families.

Trump is now expected to mark the anniversary at the Pentagon, where he will be permitted to deliver remarks just as he did last year. Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend the Ground Zero ceremony on behalf of the White House.

Travel considerations also played a role in the change of plans, according to the report. Trump is scheduled to depart the following day for his golf course in Doonbeg, Ireland, where the Irish Open will be held. Leaving for Ireland from the New York area would cause considerably greater disruptions to road and air traffic than departing from Joint Base Andrews in Maryland, noted the Times reporters.

Trump will also be coming off a midterm political convention in Texas on Sept. 9 and 10 before heading to the Pentagon.

White House spokeswoman Anna Kelly did not directly address Trump’s schedule when contacted by the Times, but said, “On the 25th anniversary of this tragic day, the president will remember those who were killed at the hands of evil terrorists, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Americans.”

Trump last attended the Ground Zero ceremony in 2024, appearing alongside Vance, then-President Joe Biden, then-Vice President Kamala Harris, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. None delivered remarks.

Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, and Barack Obama, as well as former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, are expected to be at the Manhattan event this year, according to the Times. Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush are also expected to attend.

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