US President Donald Trump has renewed America’s commitment to remember the victims of the September 11 attacks, declaring on the 25th anniversary that the passage of a generation has not diminished the nation’s resolve to honour those lost.
Speaking at a solemn ceremony at the Pentagon, Trump said the United States would “never, ever forget” the attacks, which killed thousands of people and transformed the country’s security and foreign policy for decades.
“In 25 years, a generation has passed since the terror attacks. Yet time has not dimmed the honour of that day our country came face-to-face with true evil. Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore in their names a quarter of a century ago. We will never, ever forget. That’s why we fight today.”
Donald Trump
The US President attended the remembrance ceremony in honour of the 184 people killed at the Pentagon when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the building. It is the second consecutive year for Trump to mark the day at the Pentagon. The President, who is originally from New York, last attended the ground zero ceremony there in 2024.
In New York, a memorial ceremony was under way at the site of the World Trade Center, where about 2,700 died after hijackers crashed two planes into the Twin Towers. The attacks are being remembered throughout the day with a number of activities.
Reflecting on the significance of the attacks, Trump said that September 11 demonstrated the character of the United States and brought Americans together in an extraordinary display of national solidarity. “On days like 9/11, we learn what a country is truly made of,” he said. “We’re learning right now what we’re made of, and we have to be strong and we have to be smart,” Trump added.
Trump recalled the unity that followed the attacks, saying that Americans across the country shared in the grief of those directly affected.
“In those harrowing days after the attacks, we saw the authentic spirit of our nation. We were all New Yorkers that day. Every one of us. We were all New Yorkers. We were all family.”
Donald Trump
Trump also used the anniversary to recognise American service members involved in current military operations, linking the country’s post-9/11 security efforts with threats facing the United States today. “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 said.
While the anniversary was marked by remembrance, Trump sought to strike a hopeful tone by pointing to what he described as the enduring strength of the American people.
“September 11th reminded us of the terrible power of hate. The 25 years since have shown us the even greater power of the American spirit to endure and prevail, and to win. And today, our country is stronger than it has ever been before. It has never been as strong as it is right now.”
Donald Trump
Trump acknowledged that no country can fully prepare for a tragedy such as September 11, but argued that Americans can choose how they respond to such moments. “No one can ever prepare for a day like 9/11. But we can always choose to be the kind of nation the world saw in those days after,” he said.
He urged Americans to pass the lessons of the tragedy to future generations, saying that children should understand the values represented by the country during the aftermath of the attacks. “We can raise our children to know that their country is good, that their fathers are brave, and that our flag is a symbol of justice and freedom,” Trump said.
Hegseth Highlights Continuing Terrorism Fight
US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth also addressed the Pentagon ceremony, focusing heavily on the military response to the September 11 attacks and the generation of service members who fought in the conflicts that followed.
Hegseth, who was a member of the Reserve Officers’ Training Corps at Princeton when the attacks occurred, highlighted the surge in military recruitment after 9/11 and the Americans who subsequently served overseas.
“We fought foreign wars, a generation of sacrifice, of valor, selfless and steadfast. Even if imperfect, those conflicts were our retribution.”
Pete Hegseth
Hegseth also spoke extensively about what he described as the continuing “Islamist threat” to the United States, warning that enemies continue to target American citizens and national power.
“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. But we are ever vigilant, especially this place.”
Pete Hegseth
The US Defence Secretary explicitly connected the fight against terrorism to the Trump administration’s current campaign against Iran.
“Over the past six months, we have laid waste to the world’s most prolific state sponsor of terrorism. Our warriors have fought an Islamic theocracy that has wished us death for nearly half a century, that cheered on 9/11, a regime that has sponsored terrorist attacks against Americans for decades, killing thousands, including our comrades in Iraq, in Afghanistan.”
Pete Hegseth
Twenty-five years after the attacks, Trump’s remarks at the Pentagon centred on the enduring responsibility to remember those who died and the spirit of unity that emerged from the tragedy.
His declaration that the United States would “never, ever forget” emphasised the significance of the anniversary as a new generation comes of age without having experienced September 11 firsthand.
