Trump Skips 9/11 Anniversary Ceremony Over Speech Restrictions

President Donald Trump will not attend this year’s 9/11 anniversary ceremonies in New York City, choosing instead to hold a separate event at the Pentagon, where he is expected to speak freely. The 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks will be marked with solemn remembrance at Ground Zero, but Trump will skip the New York ceremony, citing restrictions on political speeches. Vice President JD Vance will represent the administration at the New York memorial.

According to reporting by The New York Times, Trump’s decision to hold his own event at the Pentagon stems from the National September 11 Memorial and Museum’s long-standing policy of keeping the annual commemoration solemn and apolitical. Since 2012, the organization has barred politicians from delivering speeches during the ceremony in Lower Manhattan. The policy was implemented to maintain the event’s focus on remembrance rather than political messaging. Trump, known for his unfiltered public addresses, would have been unable to speak at Ground Zero, prompting his shift to the Pentagon event.

Trump’s travel plans also reflect his preference for avoiding logistical complications. Following the Pentagon commemoration, he is scheduled to travel to his golf resort in Doonbeg, Ireland. To minimize disruption in the New York-New Jersey area, he will depart from Andrews Air Force Base near Washington, D.C., rather than airports in the New York City region, where Air Force One’s presence could create significant air traffic delays.

The decision has drawn criticism from observers who argue that Trump’s absence from Ground Zero sends a message of diminished respect for the solemnity of the anniversary. In previous years, Trump has faced scrutiny for his speeches at events unrelated to 9/11, including a 2017 address to the Boy Scouts Jamboree and comments at the United Nations in 2023. This year, however, the constraints of the New York ceremony appear to have played a decisive role in his decision.

Meanwhile, Wyoming Governor Mark Gordon raised concerns this week about federal election monitoring efforts in his state. Speaking at a canvassing board meeting, Gordon described the Department of Justice’s surprise visits to polling locations during last week’s primary elections as “aggressive” and “irregular.” He noted that the U.S. Attorney for Wyoming was reportedly unaware of the monitors’ presence, raising questions about the scope of their authority.

Debra Lee, chief election officer for Laramie County, recounted that two monitors arrived at a polling station without prior notice and requested access to sensitive election equipment and voter information. Lee denied their requests, citing state laws that prohibit such activities within polling places. The monitors had sought to assess compliance with federal voting rights laws, but their approach was deemed inconsistent with standard election oversight procedures.

In Florida, a grand jury report has shed light on the misuse of $10 million from a state Medicaid settlement, which was diverted to support a campaign against a marijuana legalization ballot measure. The funds, originally part of a $67 million settlement with Centene Corporation, were split in 2024, with $10 million allocated to the Hope Florida Foundation, a charity founded by First Lady Casey DeSantis. The foundation then transferred the money to two dark-money political action committees, which used the funds to oppose the ballot initiative.

The grand jury report, obtained by CBS News, concluded that while no criminal charges could be pursued due to insufficient evidence, the transaction represented a clear misuse of taxpayer funds for political purposes. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis dismissed the findings, stating that the only apparent crime was the leaking of the sealed report.

Elsewhere, Representative Max Miller of Ohio continued his public feud with his former father-in-law, Senator Bernie Moreno, escalating tensions during a court hearing in Cuyahoga County.

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