Trump will skip New York for Sept. 11 anniversary, White House says; Pentagon ceremony remains planned

President Donald Trump will not travel to New York City for the 25th anniversary commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks, according to a report by NewsNation, a sister network of The Hill. The report said a White House official told NewsNation that Vice President J.D. Vance is “still traveling to NYC” and that administration representation will cover “all three sites” tied to the anniversary events.

The announcement, first reported by The Hill and attributed to NewsNation’s reporting, indicates that Trump’s Sept. 11 public schedule is centered on the Pentagon ceremony rather than the New York City events. The report also frames the decision as part of how the administration plans to staff the multiple locations associated with the anniversary programming.

The Sept. 11 anniversary occurs on Sept. 11, 2026, marking a quarter-century since the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania. For the 2026 commemorations, officials and media reports have indicated there will be ceremonies at several sites, including the Pentagon and New York City locations, with federal officials expected to attend.

NewsNation reported that Trump’s attendance plans differ from Vance’s, with the vice president remaining scheduled to travel to New York City. The report also said the administration will send officials to represent the president and vice president across the full set of anniversary locations, though it did not spell out which other senior officials are assigned to specific sites.

The White House official’s comments, as relayed by NewsNation, suggest the administration is using a split-site approach for the anniversary rather than a single principal appearance in New York City. The practical effect is that the president’s role at the anniversary is tied to the Pentagon event, while New York City will have a senior administration presence via the vice president.

The Pentagon and New York City ceremonies take place within a broader framework of federal, state, and local coordination for public memorial events. Decisions about attendance by top officials typically shape logistical planning for transportation, security, and access, particularly for events involving multiple high-profile locations in the same commemorative period.

The report did not cite any underlying policy rationale or legal authority for the change in travel plans, focusing instead on the staffing and representation at “all three sites.” As of publication, no official White House schedule details were identified in the reporting provided, and confirmation from a primary official source is pending.