Presidential candidates set aside politics to mark the 23rd anniversary of 9/11 in New York, with President Biden, former President Trump, and Vice President Harris attending the memorial ceremony. Victims’ relatives used the occasion to call for accountability, with one challenging Trump and Harris to press Saudi Arabia about any involvement in the attacks. Biden and Harris visited all three 9/11 attack sites while Trump laid a wreath at the Flight 93 memorial in Pennsylvania. The attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people, changed U.S. foreign policy and domestic security practices. While many Americans may not observe anniversaries anymore, Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin noted that the Department of Defense remembers. The National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum has limited the ceremony to relatives reading victims’ names since 2012. Some criticize politicians for attending for political clout, while others emphasize the importance of coming together for peace and solutions. The anniversary became a significant moment in past presidential campaigns, with incidents such as Hillary Clinton disclosing her pneumonia diagnosis in 2016. The focus of the ceremony remains on remembering the lives lost and reflecting on the impact of the terrorist attacks. Younger generations, born after 9/11, are increasingly taking part by sharing personal reflections and promising to never forget the events of that day.
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