In a rare display of bipartisan solidarity, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump, and Republican vice presidential candidate Senator JD Vance gathered at Ground Zero in New York City on Wednesday to mark the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.
They were joined by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, New York Governor Kathy Hochul, former mayors Bill de Blasio and Rudy Giuliani, and Trump’s sons, Eric and Don Jr.
The commemoration, held at the World Trade Center site, began with a moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. ET, the exact time the first plane hit the North Tower. Additional moments of silence followed at 9:03 a.m., 9:37 a.m., 9:59 a.m., 10:03 a.m., and 10:28 a.m., marking the times of the second plane hitting the South Tower, the Pentagon attack, the collapse of the South Tower, the crash of Flight 93 in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the collapse of the North Tower, respectively.
During the ceremony, each of the 2,977 victims’ names was read aloud, a tradition that typically lasts until around 12:30 p.m., according to CBS News.
As the ceremony unfolded, video footage showed Bloomberg greeting Harris and alerting her to Trump’s arrival. This marked the second time in 12 hours that Harris and Trump had crossed paths, following their debate in Philadelphia the previous night. The crowd reacted audibly to Trump’s arrival, with some expressing their support.
“Never forget each of the 2,977 precious lives stolen from us when terrorists attacked our nation,” Biden said in a statement. “Never forget their families who still bear the grief from that searing September morning. Never forget the heroic citizens and survivors who rushed to help their fellow Americans. And never forget that when faced with evil—and an enemy that sought to tear us apart—we endured.”
Biden and Harris, following the ceremony in New York, are set to attend additional memorial events at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, to honor the lives lost at all three attack sites. Trump and Harris are also expected to participate in the Shanksville ceremony later in the day.
