President Biden decided to spend September 11 away from the sites of the devastating terrorist attacks that occurred 22 years ago. Instead, he opted to send Vice President Kamala Harris to Ground Zero in New York City. Harris attended a ceremony alongside Governor Kathy Hochul and Mayor Eric Adams to honor the victims of the 2001 attacks in Lower Manhattan.
While Harris engaged in a lively conversation with Hochul and stayed for about an hour, Biden returned from Asia and planned to mark the tragedy later in the day at a military base in Alaska. However, despite the tension between the White House and New York City officials regarding the handling of the migrant crisis, all individuals present appeared to be cordial.
Biden, who would become the first president to spend September 11 away from the attack sites, traveled to Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson to deliver remarks to service members, first responders, and their families. Meanwhile, First Lady Jill Biden visited the Pentagon remembrance, and Harris’ husband, Douglas Emhoff, traveled to Shanksville.
Former Presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump typically held memorial services at one of the crash sites during their tenure. However, Obama made an exception in 2015 when he addressed US troops from Fort Meade in Maryland. Various political figures, including Republican 2024 presidential candidates Ron DeSantis and Vivek Ramaswamy, also visited New York to meet with relatives of 9/11 victims.
Although President Biden did not physically visit the attack sites, his staff placed a 9/11 memorial installation on the North Portico of the executive mansion. Additionally, former President Trump shared a video message honoring the memory of the victims and expressing gratitude for the first responders and military personnel who sacrificed their lives. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani also shared his remembrances of the day.