Wednesday, September 9, 2026 - President Donald Trump honored the victims and first responders of the September 11 attacks at a memorial event on the Ellipse outside the White House, urging Americans to remember those who lost their lives.
The ceremony featured a 21-foot steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center's South Tower, while Trump paid tribute to the courage of firefighters, police officers and civilians who responded during the attacks.
Trump also honored individual heroes, including firefighter Jeffrey Palazzo and Welles Crowther, the volunteer firefighter and equities trader remembered as the "man in the red bandana."
Crowther was posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom for helping rescue people from the South Tower before he was killed when the building collapsed. The event brought together first responders, government officials and families as the United States prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks.
The commemoration comes as the country prepares for a wider series of 9/11 anniversary events, with ceremonies planned in New York and at the Pentagon. Trump's message focused on national resilience, sacrifice and the importance of keeping the memory of the victims alive.
As the 25th anniversary approaches, the events are placing renewed attention on the lasting impact of the attacks and the generations that continue to carry their memory forward.
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