NEW YORK:
President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump made a rare joint appearance Wednesday at the New York City memorial site commemorating the September 11, 2001 attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
Despite the previous day’s contentious debate, Harris, the Democratic presidential nominee, and Trump, his Republican rival in the Nov. 5 U.S. election, briefly exchanged pleasantries before attending the event. Senator JD Vance, Trump’s running mate, was also in attendance.
There has been no official speech at the “Ground Zero” site, where the World Trade Center towers were brought down by planes. Instead, family members of the victims recited the names of their loved ones killed 23 years ago.
The ceremony paid tribute to the attacks carried out by Al-Qaeda, which saw two planes hit the World Trade Center, one on the Pentagon and a fourth crash in Pennsylvania after passengers intervened.
A young boy with red hair said with emotion: “Richard J. O’Connor. You will always love us and we will always miss you,” he remembers of his grandfather, a victim of the attacks. The event included a procession with bagpipes and drums, accompanied by honor guards from the New York City Fire and Police Departments, as well as moments of silence as the planes hit each location.
After the commemoration in New York, Biden and Harris traveled to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the site where United Flight 93 crashed after passengers overpowered the hijackers, preventing another target from be touched.
At a white marble memorial on the grounds, Biden gently placed his hand on a wreath honoring the 40 passengers and crew members who lost their lives. They were joined by Calvin Wilson, the brother-in-law of LeRoy Homer Jr., the co-pilot of Flight 93.
Biden and Harris then visited the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, where they stopped at another nearby memorial, featuring 40 flags fluttering in the wind.
Biden spoke about the need for bipartisan unity and exchanged hats with a Trump supporter, leading to a viral photo. The Trump campaign later shared the image on social media, writing: “Thanks for your support, Joe. »
Biden and Harris ended their day by attending a memorial at the Pentagon, where they laid a wreath decorated in red, white and blue, bowed their heads and remained silent as “Taps” played.
Reflecting on the attacks, Biden said in a statement: “23 years ago on this day, terrorists thought they could break our will. They were wrong. In our darkest times, we found unity and light, coming together to defend our country and support each other.
Trump, who visited the Pennsylvania memorial the same day, told Fox News: “It was a very sad, horrible day. Nothing like this has ever happened before.
Earlier in the day, Biden issued a proclamation honoring the victims of the attacks and the hundreds of thousands of Americans who enlisted in the military in the aftermath. He expressed gratitude to the “9/11 generation,” noting their service in Afghanistan, Iraq and other conflict zones, as well as the capture and eventual death of Osama bin Laden, the mastermind behind the attacks. .
