President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump will preside Monday over the 16th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial and lead a moment of silence in remembrance of lives lost on the day of the attacks. This will be the first 9/11 ceremony Trump will attend as President of the United States.
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Secretary of Defense James Mattis and Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Joseph Dunford are both expected to host the commemoration which will pay tribute to the 184 people killed in the attack at the Pentagon.
At exactly 9:37 a.m. on Monday, Trump and his wife will lead a moment of silence at the same time 16 years prior when American Airlines Flight 77, a plane with 64 passengers and crew bound for Los Angeles, crashed into the side of the Pentagon.
Vice President Mike Pence will be at the 9/11 ceremony in Shanksville, Pa., the crash site of the Flight 93 and the memorial to the victims who died on board. President Trump declared September 11, in a presidential proclamation last week, to be “Patriot Day.”
Trump said in a statement, “September 11, 2001, will forever be one of the most tragic days in American history. Through the unimaginable despair, however, ordinary Americans etched into our history remarkable illustrations of bravery, of sacrifice for one another, and of dedication to our shared values.”
“The shock from the indelible images of the smoke rising from the World Trade Center and Pentagon gave way to countless inspiring videos of co-workers helping one another to safety; of heroes running into collapsing buildings to save the innocent people trapped within; and to the unforgettable story of the patriots who charged the cockpit of Flight 93 to save untold numbers of lives,” the president added.