One Requested Role Changed the Presidential Gathering
Former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden are expected to attend the Manhattan ceremony.
Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush are also among the anticipated guests, along with former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. Joe's attendance was confirmed on September 2, completing an extraordinary lineup of living former presidents at the site of the fallen towers.
President Donald Trump is the one living president not expected at Ground Zero.
His absence is particularly striking because he was born in New York City and has spoken frequently about September 11, including during his 2016 presidential campaign. His team had even conducted advance visits at the Memorial, while officials in New York and Washington initially received indications that he intended to appear.
The plan reportedly shifted after President Trump expressed interest in delivering a speech on September 11. Memorial organizers have spent more than a decade keeping political remarks out of the ceremony, and they did not abandon that rule for the sitting president.
Four people familiar with the discussions told The Times that Donald did not plan to attend the Manhattan event, with his desire to speak contributing to the decision. His interest in addressing the gathering had reportedly been communicated to organizers during the preceding weeks.
That means Bill, George, Barack, and Joe are expected to stand at Ground Zero together while the country's current president, and the only one of the five born in New York, is somewhere else.
The White House did not directly answer a question about President Trump's schedule. Spokeswoman Anna Kelly instead described how he would observe the anniversary.
"On the 25th anniversary of this tragic day, the president will remember those who were killed at the hands of evil terrorists, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Americans," she said.
The president is now expected to mark September 11 at the Pentagon, which was also attacked that morning in 2001. His appearance there would still place him at a site of profound national loss, although it would leave the sitting president noticeably separated from his living predecessors in Manhattan.
