Last Updated on September 11, 2026 by YeJahan
YEJAHAN DESK
NEW YORK (Sept 11): On Sept. 11, 2001, a quarter-century ago, two terrorists affiliated with al-Qaida, hijacked four commercial airliners, crashing them into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a Pennsylvania field. The initial attacks killed 2,977 people, and the fallout didn’t stop there. Over the next two decades, another 7,000 U.S. troops died in the post-9/11 wars, while tens of thousands of first responders and survivors fell ill—and many died—from breathing in the toxic dust left behind.
Memorials took place across the country to mark the milestone. At the Pentagon, President Trump promised the nation would never forget, stating, the United States would never forget the events held on September 11, 2001 and would continue to “fight”.
“Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore in their names a quarter of a century ago. We will never, ever forget. That’s why we fight today. We don’t have a choice, there can only be victory, we fight hard, we fight to win,” said Trump.
Meanwhile, a heavy political crowd gathered at the Ground Zero memorial in New York, including Vice President Vance alongside former Presidents Joe Biden, George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, and Barack Obama. Vance urged younger Americans who didn’t live through the attacks to tune in, saying he hopes the country can find its way back to the sense of shared purpose that defined the days right after the tragedy.
The anniversary also brought fresh reminders of the long battle over the truth of what happened. Just days ago, New York officials finally released air quality documents that previous administrations had kept hidden. Activist and comedian Jon Stewart didn’t hold back his frustration, mocking officials for burying proof of the toxic air for 25 years.
Even as people paused to grieve, the deep political fractures in modern America were hard to ignore. Former New York Governor George Pataki reflected on how proud he was of the city’s recovery, but admitted his deepest disappointment is how incredibly polarized the country has become since.
Those divisions spilled directly into the event itself. Ahead of the ceremony, Pataki and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani publicly suggested that New York’s current mayor, Zohran Mamdani, should stay away because he is Muslim and had past political ties to a commentator who made offensive remarks about 9/11 years ago.
Pataki and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, suggested in interviews that the city’s current Democratic leader, Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who is Muslim, should stay away from memorial ceremonies.
Pataki criticized Mamdani for failing to break all ties with controversial Twitch streamer Hasan Piker, who in 2019 said that America “deserved” 9/11. Piker later distanced himself from his remarks and apologized. During a mayoral debate in 2025, Mamdani described Piker’s statement as “objectionable and reprehensible.”
Governor Kathy Hochul and other Democrats quickly defended Mamdani, calling the push to exclude him wrong. Mamdani, who has spent the week honoring victims’ families, confirmed he would attend the Ground Zero memorial as planned.
