President Donald Trump delivered a heartfelt tribute to the families and victims who were impacted by the Sept. 11, 2001, World Trade Center attacks on Thursday, renewing our “sacred vow” to “never forget.”
“Eighty-four years ago this morning, the banks of the Potomac were fill with the clamor of construction workers who broke ground on the building now known as the Pentagon on Sept. 11, 1941,” Trump said in his address. “At the time, it was the biggest building ever built. From that moment forward, this structure stood as a monument to American strength, power and cherished American freedom.”
He then shifted to the events that took place 24 years ago, when members of the extremist group al-Qaeda hijacked four commercial planes.
“Exactly six decades later on Sept. 11, 2001, those same walls built with the sweat, muscle and blood of our parents and grandparents were scarred by flame and shaken by terror as our country came face to face with pure evil,” Trump said.
“On that fateful day, savage monsters attacked the very symbols of our civilization. Yet here in Virginia and in New York and in the skies over Pennsylvania, Americans did not hesitate. They stood on their feet and they showed the world that we will never yield. We will never bend. We will never give up, and our great American flag will never ever fail,” he continued. “That terrible morning 24 years ago, time itself stood still. The laughter of children fell silent. The rush of our traffic came to an absolute halt.”
The attacks led to the deaths of of 2,996 people, including the 19 hijackers. Trump also shared his thoughts and condolences with the American families whose loved ones were killed.
“9/11 family members have felt the weight of missed birthdays and empty bedrooms, journals left unfinished and dreams left unfulfilled,” he said. “To every member that still feels a void every day of your lives, the First Lady and I unite with you. And today, as one nation, we renew our sacred vow that we will never forget Sept. 11, 2001. Amid the horror of that morning, some used cell phones and office lines to whisper their final words to those who mattered most.”
After listing some stories of those who were impacted, Trump shined a light on the courage Americans showed during the tragedy and after the loss.
“Out of the wreckage, we watched unbelievable courage suddenly take form,” Trump said. “And out of the darkness, we saw the timeless truth of American character shine for the world to see. In America, we take blows, but we never buckle. We bleed, but we do not bow. And we defy fear, endure the flames and emerge from the crucible of every hardship, stronger, prouder and greater than before.”
Also on Thursday, Trump took to Truth Social to share more 9/11 remarks. “This morning, we recall the light of America’s best and bravest and the love they showed in their final moments,” he wrote. “In their memory, we make a solemn pledge and a noble promise: we will honor — always — our GREAT HEROES…”
During his Pentagon speech, the president also paid tribute to conservative activist Charlie Kirk, who was fatally shot on Wednesday during a public appearance in Utah. Trump announced that he would be posthumously honoring Kirk with a Presidential Medal of Freedom.
