President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, and Senator JD Vance are gathering to mark the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks, setting aside political rivalry momentarily to honor the tragic day.
The four leaders are attending a memorial event at Ground Zero in Manhattan on Wednesday. Trump and Harris, who met in person for the first time just hours before at a presidential debate, exchanged greetings as they prepared for the solemn ceremonies. However, there was no interaction between Vance and Harris.
Harris and Biden will later head to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, for a wreath-laying ceremony at the Flight 93 memorial, as scheduled by the White House. Following that, they will travel to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, for another ceremonial wreath laying.
Trump is also expected to travel to Shanksville later on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with his plans.
Minnesota Governor Tim Walz, the Democratic vice presidential nominee, will also be present at a commemoration event, although the location has not been disclosed by his office.
In previous years, political campaigning on this anniversary has often been avoided, but this year’s charged political climate raises questions about how campaigns will approach the day.
The September 11 attacks, which occurred in 2001, resulted in the deaths of nearly 3,000 people when Islamist terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners. Two planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center, another struck the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed in a Pennsylvania field as passengers attempted to regain control.
Last year, Biden commemorated the anniversary in Alaska, incorrectly stating he visited Ground Zero the day after the attacks, when he actually did so nine days later. In 2022, he visited the Pentagon, and in 2021, he and First Lady Jill Biden commemorated all three attack sites, alongside former President Barack Obama and former First Lady Michelle Obama in New York.
Wednesday’s events represent the sixth election cycle where presidential candidates have navigated this significant day amid active campaigns.
The anniversary often serves as both a moment of unity and a reflection of ongoing divisions. Trump, a New Yorker with a history of controversial remarks regarding the attacks, has been the Republican nominee for three consecutive cycles.
In past years, candidates have managed to avoid each other during memorial events. In 2020, Biden and Trump attended Ground Zero but did not cross paths. Biden greeted then-Vice President Mike Pence with an elbow bump in the midst of social distancing for COVID-19.
In 2016, both Trump and Hillary Clinton attended the memorial for the 15th anniversary but Clinton left abruptly due to health concerns, which later became the subject of Trump’s criticism. In 2012, Mitt Romney and then-President Obama avoided each other as well, with Romney opting not to criticize Obama, stating, “There is a time and a place for that, but this day is not it.”
In contrast, the atmosphere was markedly different in 2008 when Obama and Senator John McCain united to lay a wreath at Ground Zero, momentarily setting aside their campaign rivalry to honor the occasion.
This story is still developing and will be updated accordingly.