A giant American flag was unfurled over the Pentagon in heavy rain as President Donald Trump led a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump watched as the names of the 184 people killed at the Pentagon were read aloud, with a bell tolling between each name. The ceremony honoured the nearly 3,000 victims of the attacks in New York, Virginia and Pennsylvania. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/2366fe3bb4948c068eaceb392ddbd948))
Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth and senior military officials had gathered outside at dawn for the flag unfurling, over the section of the Pentagon struck by hijacked American Airlines Flight 77 on September 11, 2001. The official ceremony was scheduled for 6.20am local time. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/2366fe3bb4948c068eaceb392ddbd948))
Opening his remarks, Mr Trump recalled the sense of national solidarity that followed the attacks, saying Americans had witnessed “the authentic spirit of our nation” in the days afterwards.
“We were all New Yorkers that day. Every one of us. We were all New Yorkers. We were all family,” he said.
The president also pledged that the victims would never be forgotten. “We will never, ever forget,” he said. “That’s why we fight today. We don’t have a choice.” ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/2366fe3bb4948c068eaceb392ddbd948))
Trump marks 9/11 anniversary at Pentagon ceremony
It was the second consecutive year that Mr Trump had attended the Pentagon’s remembrance ceremony. He last took part in the annual observance at Ground Zero in New York in 2024, while Vice-President JD Vance attended this year’s New York ceremony alongside former presidents. ([apnews.com](https://apnews.com/article/2366fe3bb4948c068eaceb392ddbd948))
In a proclamation issued on September 9, Mr Trump designated September 11, 2026, as Patriot Day and called for American flags to be flown at half-mast in honour of the 2,977 people killed in the attacks. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/presidential-actions/2026/09/patriot-day-2026-the-25th-anniversary-of-the-september-11-terrorist-attacks/))
The White House had begun the week of commemorations with an event on the Ellipse in Washington, where Mr Trump stood alongside first responders, Gold Star families and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. A steel beam recovered from the World Trade Centre’s South Tower was displayed as part of a nationwide remembrance tour. ([whitehouse.gov](https://www.whitehouse.gov/releases/2026/09/president-trump-honors-9-11-heroes-and-renews-americas-vow-to-never-forget/))
