Here’s what happened.
Following their initial presidential debate, both former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris made their way to New York City to observe the 23rd anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, setting aside political differences for this somber occasion.
On this day each year, we remember the nearly 3,000 Americans who lost their lives when terrorists executed a series of coordinated attacks. The terrorists hijacked commercial airplanes, targeting the World Trade Center in New York City, the Pentagon in Washington, D.C., and a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. This tragic event remains the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil.
Trump and Harris, who squared off in their first presidential debate the previous night, joined President Joe Biden and Trump’s running mate, Senator JD Vance of Ohio, in paying tribute at Ground Zero in lower Manhattan. The ceremony at the World Trade Center site honored the victims of the attacks and the heroic first responders who gave their lives that day.
At Ground Zero, Trump and Harris were observed shaking hands, demonstrating a unified front in honoring the victims. After the memorial service, Trump is slated to visit the New York Fire Department’s Engine 4, Tower Ladder 15, and then head to Shanksville to pay respects at the Flight 93 Memorial. Meanwhile, Biden and Harris will also visit Shanksville for a wreath-laying ceremony before traveling to Arlington, Virginia, for a similar tribute at the Pentagon.
The attacks on September 11 resulted in the loss of over 400 first responders, including 23 NYPD officers, 37 Port Authority employees, and 343 firefighters. The brave passengers and crew of Flight 93, who fought back against the hijackers, are credited with preventing further destruction, as the plane was on course for the U.S. Capitol.
The Biden-Harris administration’s decision to withdraw U.S. troops from Afghanistan on August 31, 2021, marked the end of nearly 20 years of American military involvement following 9/11. This withdrawal led to the Taliban regaining control of Afghanistan and reinstating the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, the very regime that had provided sanctuary to al Qaeda and its leader, Osama bin Laden, prior to the 2001 attacks.
WATCH:
Wow. Donald Trump shakes Kamala’s hand at today’s 9-11 ceremony and appears to mouth “you did a good job” about last night’s debate.
— CALL TO ACTIVISM (@CalltoActivism) September 11, 2024
KAMALA: “Thank you, thank you.”pic.twitter.com/M3V8BNR6EJ