President Donald Trump on a screen as he speaks during a ceremony commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks in the courtyard of the Pentagon in Arlington, Va. on Sept. 11, 2026. Finn Gomez/Getty Images
ARLINGTON, Va.—President Donald Trump, Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Dan Caine gathered at the Pentagon Center Courtyard on Friday for a remembrance ceremony on the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The Pentagon was one of several sites targeted when members of al-Qaeda hijacked and proceeded to crash four passenger airliners on that fateful day in 2001, killing nearly 3,000 people.
“In 25 years, a generation has passed since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001. Yet time has not dimmed the horror of that day when our country came face to face with true evil,” Trump said.
“Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore a quarter of a century ago. We will never, ever forget. That’s why we fight today: We don’t have a choice. It can only be victory. We fight hard. We fight to win.”
Vice President JD Vance attended a remembrance ceremony at World Trade Center on Friday.
One hundred and eighty-four people were killed when the hijackers crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon’s west wall. The remembrance ceremony included a reading of the names of those killed.
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Ahead of the main ceremony, the American flag was unfurled over the west side of the Pentagon. Hegseth, Caine, and other military leaders stood in heavy rain—many without umbrellas or raincoats—to observe the flag’s display.
“Today is not just a story of loss; it is also a story of great American courage, selfless service, and those who’ve made the choice to carry those memories forward,” Caine said.
“Twenty-five years ago, in the moment of greatest danger, Americans moved towards one another. Here at the Pentagon, service members and civilians alike entered the smoke and fire to bring their teammates home to safety.”
The hijackers initially crashed American Airlines Flight 11 into the North Tower of the World Trade Center. A second cell of hijackers flew United Airlines Flight 175 into the South Tower of the World Trade Center.
American Airlines Flight 77 was the third aircraft to crash on the day of the attack.
A fourth and final cell of hijackers took control of United Flight 93. Passengers aboard the flight fought back, and the hijackers crashed the plane into a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, killing all those aboard.
Hegseth referred to the passengers’ sacrifice as “the first American counterattack in the war” on terror.
The ceremony concluded with a performance of “America the Beautiful” by the President’s Own Marine Band, and a benediction by chief chaplain, Maj. Gen. Trent Davis.
“But now, Lord, help us to depart strong and courageous, united in purpose, and fiercely resolved to guard this land of liberty entrusted to our care. And send us forth confident that your light still shines in the darkness, and darkness shall never overcome it. Amen,” Davis said.
