President Donald Trump marked the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at the Pentagon on Friday, as a huge American flag was unfurled over the section of the building struck by a hijacked aircraft.
The dawn ceremony took place in heavy rain, with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, senior military officers and other officials watching as the flag was lowered down the Pentagon’s western side.
Trump and first lady Melania Trump later attended a memorial service where the names of the 184 people killed at the Pentagon were read aloud. A bell sounded after each name.
In his remarks, the president recalled the sense of solidarity that followed the attacks, saying the country had seen “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.
Trump also told the gathering: “We will never, ever forget. That’s why we fight today. We don’t have a choice.”
The September 11 attacks killed 2,977 people after 19 al-Qaida hijackers seized four passenger planes. Two aircraft were flown into the World Trade Centre in New York, one hit the Pentagon and a fourth crashed into a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to regain control.
The ceremony was Trump’s second consecutive 9/11 anniversary appearance at the Pentagon. The president, who was born in New York, last attended the Ground Zero commemoration in 2024.
Vice-President JD Vance attended the New York ceremony alongside former presidents, while administration officials took part in the observance at the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.
Earlier this week, Trump joined first responders, Gold Star families and the Tunnel to Towers Foundation at an event on the Ellipse outside the White House. A steel beam recovered from the South Tower was displayed as part of a nationwide tour commemorating those killed in the attacks.
The White House has designated September 11, 2026, as Patriot Day and called for US flags to be flown at half-mast in honour of the victims.
Across the United States, ceremonies, moments of silence and memorial events were held to mark a quarter of a century since the attacks. The anniversary has also prompted renewed tributes to emergency workers who died at the scenes and to those who continue to suffer from illnesses linked to their rescue and recovery work.
