President Donald Trump on Friday pushed back against press reports that he skipped New York City's 9/11 memorial ceremony because he was barred from speaking, asserting he could have addressed the crowd if he had chosen to do so.
In an interview with Sid Rosenberg on 77 WABC radio, Trump said he is "99 percent sure" he would have been allowed to speak at the event, directly contradicting a New York Times report that his team had requested a speaking slot and was rebuffed.
"It's just not true. I didn't demand to speak," Trump told Rosenberg. "I'm sure if I wanted to speak, they would have let me." He added that as president, he knows "the guys down there."
The New York Times reported last month that Trump's aides had asked organizers of the ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum if he could deliver remarks. That event has barred political speeches since 2012, a policy that has been in place for over a decade.
Trump, however, dismissed the notion that he was keen to take the microphone. "I speak enough, the last thing I want to do is speak," he joked. "I don't need it for any reason."
The president also took aim at Times reporter Maggie Haberman, one of the journalists behind the story, and reiterated his previous accusation that the report was "Corrupt News." In a Truth Social post last month, he wrote: "I've been to New York many times over the years, and no one ever speaks, it's a 'solemn ceremony!'"
Instead of attending the New York City event, Trump traveled to the Pentagon to honor the victims of the September 11 attacks, where he gave remarks. Vice President JD Vance represented the administration at the memorial in Lower Manhattan.
The split appearance was notable as the nation marked the 25th anniversary of the attacks, a milestone that has drawn attention to how the current administration's security policies echo and diverge from the post-9/11 era. Trump's decision to appear at the Pentagon—rather than the site where the Twin Towers fell—was seen by some as a deliberate choice, given the ongoing debate over the legacy of the war on terror and the administration's recent actions on airport security rollbacks and its framing of current Middle East conflicts as part of the post-9/11 fight.
Past presidents have often visited all three attack sites—New York, the Pentagon, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania—on major anniversaries. Joe Biden did so in 2021 for the 20th anniversary, Barack Obama in 2011 for the 10th, and George W. Bush on the first and fifth anniversaries.
Trump's remarks come amid a broader political landscape where he remains a central figure, with his administration's decisions on issues like Iran and infrastructure continuing to spark debate. His assertion that he could have spoken in New York, while unverifiable, adds another layer to the ongoing narrative of his relationship with the city he once called home.
