How US leaders remembered the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks

Trump drew parallels to the US’s present-day war against Iran, while figures like Abdul El-Sayed called for inclusivity.

US President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump bow their heads during a Pentagon commemoration for the 25th anniversary of the attacks on September 11, 2001 [Saul Loeb/AFP]

A quarter-century after the attacks on September 11, 2001, officials across the United States have taken part in tributes and memorials to honour the 2,977 victims and those who risked their lives as part of the rescue efforts.

The incident is considered the deadliest “terrorist” attack in US history.

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Four planes were hijacked. Two crashed into the World Trade Center, causing its Twin Towers to collapse. A third struck the Pentagon outside Washington, DC. And the fourth plummeted into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers and crew rose against their attackers.

Through social media messages, public speeches and appearances at ceremonies, US leaders on Friday took different approaches to remembering the lives of the thousands who perished on the fateful day.

Here’s what they said:

US President Donald Trump

US President Donald Trump speaks at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday [Saul Loeb/AFP]

US President Donald Trump chose to stay in Washington, DC, to observe the 25th anniversary.

During the attacks, 184 people died near the capital when American Airlines Flight 77 struck the Pentagon, the headquarters of the US military.

Trump opted not to attend a Friday ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York, where all his living presidential predecessors were in attendance.

His vice president, JD Vance, travelled to New York instead. The ceremony at the World Trade Center has a policy of not allowing political speeches.

In his remarks at the Pentagon, Trump described what happened as “true evil”. He also paid tribute to those who died in the attacks.

“We will honour their lives, we will cherish their beautiful memories, and we will protect this country and its freedoms for every future generation,” Trump said.

The president also praised US troops as he appeared to link the 9/11 attacks with his administration’s war against Iran.

“We will never, ever forget. That’s why we fight today. We don’t have a choice. There can only be victory,” Trump said.

“We salute the service members working right now to ensure the world’s number one sponsor of terror – the Islamic Republic of Iran – will never, ever have a nuclear weapon,” he later added.

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

US Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth speaks at the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, on Friday [Saul Loeb/AFP]

US Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth also spoke at the Pentagon, delivering his remarks shortly before Trump’s.

He warned the audience to practice “eternal vigilance” against what he called continued threats.

“There are still enemies who hate us. Every day, enemies plot to curb our power and kill our citizens, including from Islamic terrorists abroad and at home,” he said.

He proceeded to seemingly use the 9/11 attacks as justification for the US-Israeli war against Iran, which started on February 28.

“Over the past six months, we have laid waste to the world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism,” Hegseth said, referring to Iran. “Our warriors have fought an Islamic theocracy that has wished us death for nearly half a century, that cheered on 9/11.”

He went on to claim that the US military has destroyed Iran’s defences and that the US controls the Strait of Hormuz, a vital waterway for international trade.

Iran has stopped commercial traffic through the strait since the start of the war.

“We’re still sending terrorists where they belong, to hell, and tankers to the bottom of the ocean where they belong,” Hegseth said. “And we’re ensuring that Iran will never have a nuclear weapon. The economic pressure tightens every day. We control the strait. We will finish this fight.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attend the 25th anniversary commemoration of the attacks on September 11, 2001, on Friday [Barry Williams/AFP]

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the New York memorial service, alongside the city’s former mayor, Rudy Giuliani, who led the city through the attacks.

Before the event started, Giuliani shook hands with the mayor, despite previously calling on Mamdani not to attend the event.

Mamdani, the city’s first Muslim mayor, had recently come under fire from some conservative politicians and victims’ family members who said his presence at the memorial would offend them.

A Change.org petition garnered more than 100,000 signatures from those who wished to express concern about Mamdani’s participation.

Like all politicians attending the service at the National September 11 Memorial, Mamdani was not permitted to speak.

Instead, the mayor released a video on social media remembering those who were killed and challenging the public to honour their memory by doing good works.

“Twenty-five years later, we have a sacred obligation to those who were stolen from us. To care for one another as they cared for strangers. To live lives worthy of the sacrifices they made. And to build a city worthy of their courage. A city where we run toward one another,” Mamdani said.

“That is how we’ll remember.”

On Tuesday, Mamdani also released a trove of previously undisclosed documents suggesting city officials tried to downplay – or even mislead – first residents about the dangerous air quality following the attacks.

US Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed

Democratic candidate for US Senate Abdul El-Sayed participates in a town hall event in Waterford, Michigan [File: Emily Elconin/Getty Images via AFP]

Democratic Senate candidate Abdul El-Sayed took to the social media platform X to honour the lives lost during what he described as a “cruel act of terror”.

El-Sayed is locked in a tight midterm race in Michigan against his Republican opponent, former US Representative Mike Rogers.

Michigan’s open Senate seat is considered a must-win seat for Democrats, if they hope to take back control of the US Senate.

Rogers has sought to create controversy over El-Sayed’s past comments about the September 11 attacks. He has pointed to audio of El-Sayed reportedly saying, “9/11 scarred our country in profound ways, but what we did after 9/11 scarred millions of other people.”

During the Republican Party’s first-ever midterm convention in Dallas, Texas, on Thursday, Rogers blasted El-Sayed, who is Muslim, for being sympathetic to terrorists. He also sought to highlight El-Sayed’s links to left-wing internet commentator Hasan Piker.

“I never imagined that, 25 years after 9/11, I would be running against somebody who campaigns with Hasan Piker, who thinks America deserved it,” Rogers said. “Yep, but here we are.”

On Friday, however, El-Sayed used his social media post to push back against Rogers’s attacks.

“Nothing can justify the murder of innocent civilians. Nothing,” El-Sayed wrote.

He also called on Americans to help build a country that was “more inclusive, more empowering, more just” in tribute to the lives lost.

“They didn’t just attack America that day. They attacked the idea of America,” El-Sayed said of the 19 al-Qaeda hijackers who participated in the attacks.

“The notion of a nation brought together by ideals where it doesn’t matter how you pray or if you pray at all. A place where freedom and commitment to justice bind us, even if at times we struggle to fully realise it.”

特朗普将此与美国目前对伊朗的战争相提并论，而像阿卜杜勒·赛义德这样的人物则呼吁包容。

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普和第一夫人梅拉尼娅·特朗普在五角大楼举行的纪念9·11事件25周年活动上低头默哀。[Saul Loeb/AFP]

在 2001 年 9 月 11 日袭击事件发生 25 年后，美国各地的官员参加了悼念和纪念活动，以缅怀 2977 名遇难者以及那些在救援工作中冒着生命危险的人们。

该事件被认为是美国历史上最致命的“恐怖袭击”。

9/11事件被告人审判名单（共3份，第1份），包括哈立德·谢赫·穆罕默德，定于2028年6月进行。

列表 2/3：马姆达尼公布了 9/11 事件后纽约空气污染记录

（共3条）特朗普在五角大楼仪式上悼念9/11事件遇难者

四架飞机被劫持。其中两架撞向世界贸易中心，导致双子塔倒塌。第三架撞向华盛顿特区郊外的五角大楼。第四架飞机在宾夕法尼亚州尚克斯维尔坠毁，此前机上乘客和机组人员奋起反抗劫机者。

周五，美国领导人通过社交媒体信息、公开演讲和出席纪念仪式等不同方式，缅怀在那个悲惨的日子里丧生的数千人。

以下是他们的说法：

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普周五在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿五角大楼发表讲话。[Saul Loeb/AFP]

美国总统唐纳德·特朗普选择留在华盛顿特区，以纪念25周年。

在袭击中，美国航空公司 77 号航班撞向美国军方总部五角大楼，造成首都附近 184 人死亡。

特朗普选择不出席周五在纽约世界贸易中心遗址举行的纪念仪式，他所有在世的前任总统都出席了该仪式。

他的副总裁JD·万斯则前往纽约。世界贸易中心的纪念仪式规定不允许发表政治演讲。

特朗普在五角大楼发表讲话时，将此次事件描述为“真正的邪恶”。他还向在袭击中丧生的人们致敬。

“我们将缅怀他们的生命，我们将珍藏他们美好的回忆，我们将保护这个国家及其自由，造福子孙后代，”特朗普说。

总统还赞扬了美国军队，似乎将9/11袭击事件与他领导的政府对伊朗的战争联系起来。

“我们永远不会忘记。这就是我们今天战斗的原因。我们别无选择，唯有胜利才行。”特朗普说道。

“我们向现在正在努力确保世界头号恐怖主义赞助者——伊朗伊斯兰共和国——永远、永远不会拥有核武器的军人们致敬，”他随后补充道。

美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯

美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯周五在弗吉尼亚州阿灵顿五角大楼发表讲话。[Saul Loeb/AFP]

美国国防部长皮特·赫格塞斯也在五角大楼发表了讲话，他的讲话时间比特朗普早不久。

他警告听众要对所谓的持续威胁保持“永恒的警惕”。

他说：“仍然有一些敌人憎恨我们。每天，敌人都在密谋削弱我们的力量，杀害我们的公民，其中包括来自国内外的伊斯兰恐怖分子。”

他似乎将 9/11 袭击事件作为美国和以色列对伊朗发动战争的理由，这场战争于 2 月 28 日开始。

“过去六个月，我们彻底摧毁了世界上最臭名昭著的恐怖主义国家支持者，”赫格塞斯说道，他指的是伊朗。“我们的战士与一个伊斯兰神权政权作战，这个政权近半个世纪以来一直希望我们灭亡，并在9·11事件中欢呼雀跃。”

他接着声称，美国军方摧毁了伊朗的防御系统，美国控制了霍尔木兹海峡——国际贸易的重要水道。

自战争开始以来，伊朗一直禁止商船通过该海峡。

“我们仍在将恐怖分子送入他们该去的地方——地狱，将油轮送入它们该去的海底，”赫格塞斯说。“我们正在确保伊朗永远无法拥有核武器。经济压力与日俱增。我们控制着海峡。我们将结束这场战斗。”

纽约市市长佐兰·马姆达尼

前纽约市市长鲁迪·朱利安尼和纽约市市长佐兰·马姆达尼于周五出席了2001年9月11日恐怖袭击事件25周年纪念活动。[巴里·威廉姆斯/法新社]

纽约市市长佐兰·马姆达尼出席了纽约的追悼会，与他一同出席的还有该市前市长鲁迪·朱利安尼，他曾带领纽约市度过了那场袭击。

活动开始前，朱利安尼与市长握手，尽管他之前曾呼吁马姆达尼不要出席该活动。

马姆达尼是该市第一位穆斯林市长，他最近遭到一些保守派政客和遇难者家属的抨击，他们表示他出席纪念活动会冒犯他们。

一份在 Change.org 上发起的请愿书获得了超过 10 万个签名，这些签名者都对马姆达尼的参与表示担忧。

与所有出席9·11国家纪念馆仪式的政治人物一样，马姆达尼没有被允许发言。

相反，市长在社交媒体上发布了一段视频，缅怀遇难者，并呼吁公众通过行善来纪念他们。

“二十五年过去了，我们对那些被夺去生命的人负有神圣的义务。我们要像他们关爱陌生人那样彼此关爱。我们要活出配得上他们所作牺牲的生活。我们要建设一座配得上他们勇气的城市。一座我们彼此奔向的城市，”马姆达尼说道。

“我们会这样记住它。”

周二，马姆达尼还公布了一批此前未公开的文件，这些文件表明，袭击发生后，市政府官员试图淡化——甚至误导——第一批居民，让他们对危险的空气质量感到担忧。

美国参议院候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德

美国参议院民主党候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德在密歇根州沃特福德参加市政厅活动。[图片：Emily Elconin/Getty Images via AFP]

民主党参议员候选人阿卜杜勒·埃尔-赛义德在社交媒体平台X上发文悼念在这次他称之为“残酷恐怖袭击”中丧生的生命。

埃尔-赛义德在密歇根州的中期选举中与他的共和党对手、前美国众议员迈克·罗杰斯展开了激烈的角逐。

如果民主党人希望重新掌控美国参议院，那么密歇根州空缺的参议院席位被认为是他们必须赢得的席位。

罗杰斯试图利用埃尔-赛义德过去对9·11袭击事件的评论制造争议。他指出，据称埃尔-赛义德曾说过：“9·11事件给我们的国家留下了深刻的创伤，但我们在9·11事件之后所做的事情也给数百万其他人留下了创伤。”

周四，在德克萨斯州达拉斯举行的共和党首次中期选举大会上，罗杰斯猛烈抨击了身为穆斯林的埃尔-赛义德，指责他同情恐怖分子。他还试图强调埃尔-赛义德与左翼网络评论员哈桑·皮克尔之间的联系。

罗杰斯说：“我从未想过，在9·11事件25年后，我的对手竟然会是和哈桑·皮克一起竞选、认为美国罪有应得的人。没错，但现实就是如此。”

然而，周五，埃尔-赛义德在社交媒体上发帖反击了罗杰斯的攻击。

“没有任何理由可以为杀害无辜平民辩护。绝对没有任何理由。”埃尔-赛义德写道。

为了缅怀逝去的生命，他还呼吁美国人民帮助建设一个“更具包容性、更有能力、更公正”的国家。

“那天他们袭击的不仅仅是美国，他们袭击的是美国的理念，”埃尔-赛义德谈到参与袭击的19名基地组织劫机者时说道。

“一个因共同理想而团结起来的国家，在这里，祈祷的方式或是否祈祷都无关紧要。这是一个自由和对正义的承诺将我们紧紧联系在一起的地方，即使有时我们难以完全实现这些目标。”