At the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 attacks in New York City, Terry Strada, whose husband died in the World Trade Center, delivered a pointed rebuke to the Trump administration, accusing it of continuing a quarter-century of official efforts to protect Saudi Arabia from accountability for its alleged connections to the terror plot.
Strada, who leads the advocacy group 9/11 Families United, spoke during the ceremony's reading of victims' names—a slot traditionally reserved for remembrance, not political statements. Her remarks, however, drew sustained applause from the assembled crowd, which included all living former U.S. presidents and Vice President Vance.
“For 25 years, administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families,” Strada said. “They withheld evidence. They vetoed JASTA. They broke promises, both public and private. It has been one betrayal after another.”
Her husband, bond broker Tom Strada, was killed in the north tower of the World Trade Center. Strada's comments come amid renewed scrutiny of the U.S.-Saudi relationship, particularly President Trump's close ties to Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, a relationship that has drawn criticism over the kingdom's human rights record, including the 2018 killing of journalist Jamal Khashoggi.
Strada directly appealed to President Trump, who attended a separate memorial at the Pentagon, urging him to “tell the Saudis to stop lying.” She added, “Tell them that if they want to be friends with the USA, they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we have all been suffering through.”
She also thanked Vice President Vance for attending and asked him to “carry that message back” to the president. “Stand with the families. Stand with the survivors. Stand with Americans,” she said. “As my husband Tom would have said, that is always the right thing to do.”
Another speaker, identifying himself as the nephew of victim Lisa Marie Terry, went further, alleging that the “deep state” has hidden evidence and implored Trump to release unredacted files implicating the kingdom. “President Trump, you're our last hope,” he said. “Release the unredacted files that implicate Saudi Arabia while what's left of the victims' families are still alive to see it.”
The remarks reflect a long-running frustration among 9/11 families over the U.S. government's handling of Saudi Arabia's role, which the kingdom has consistently denied. The Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act (JASTA), passed in 2016, allowed families to sue Saudi Arabia, but the law was vetoed by President Obama—a decision later overridden by Congress. The White House has not yet responded to requests for comment.
The president's relationship with the Saudi crown prince has been a point of contention throughout his political career. Trump has repeatedly dismissed U.S. intelligence assessments that concluded bin Salman likely approved Khashoggi's murder, and he has prioritized economic and strategic ties with Riyadh.
As the memorial events concluded, the political undertones were unmistakable. For many families, the fight for transparency and accountability remains as urgent as ever, with some calling for a new investigation into the attacks. The bipartisan calls for unity at the ceremony seemed to contrast sharply with the pointed accusations from the families, underscoring the deep divisions that persist over the legacy of 9/11.
