President Donald Trump will not visit ground zero for the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Friday, appearing instead for an event in Washington.

The New York Times reported that Trump opted out of the New York City event in part because he wouldn’t be allowed to deliver remarks there. In a Truth Social post on Tuesday, Trump said he is attending a ceremony at the Pentagon because there was “a strong request” that he be there. He also said he “never asked to speak” at the ground zero event because he knew politicians were not allowed to.

Trump did speak with first responders and officials from the New York Fire Department and the local Washington, D.C., fire department at the White House on Sept. 8 to mark the anniversary. The event featured a 21-foot steel beam recovered from the south tower of the World Trade Center, and Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, the equities trader known as the “Man in the Red Bandana” who is credited with saving numerous lives before he died at age 24 in the tower’s collapse.

“As a proud New Yorker, President Trump has spoken about his own experiences watching the horrific events of September 11,” White House spokesperson Anna Kelly told HuffPost. “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.”

Vice President JD Vance will be at ground zero, alongside New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Gov. Kathy Hochul. The mayor’s office and the governor’s office did not respond to HuffPost’s requests for comment.

AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein

President Donald Trump posthumously awards the Presidential Medal of Freedom to 9/11 hero Welles Crowther on Sept. 8, 2026, in Washington. Alison Crowther, Welles' mother, accepted the award on his behalf as his sister Paige Crowther Charbonnea, left, looked on.

We spoke to two first responders and a first responder’s child to get their reactions to Trump’s planned absence at ground zero. First responder John Feal, a demolition supervisor during the ground zero cleanup on Sept. 12, 2001, was critical.

“Since the inception of the memorial, since they started reading the names, no politician speaks,” Feal told HuffPost, citing the speculation about why Trump will not be there. “This man is trying to leech onto something that’s sacred, especially with so much profile on the number 25 this year.”

Less than a week into the ground zero recovery efforts in 2001, a steel beam fell on Feal, crushed his foot, and required him to undergo a partial amputation. Over the last 25 years, he has been a big advocate for legislation to provide health benefits to 9/11 first responders, volunteers and survivors. He will be attending the 25th anniversary at ground zero.

“As the president, he should embrace that the museum doesn’t let elected officials speak and he should respect that, and he should go there with dignity,” Feal said.

“He could have shown unity; he could have shown class,” he added. “He could have shown a lot of attributes this country needs right now, and he chose to show selfishness.”

Another first responder, who asked to remain anonymous, told HuffPost he was initially surprised to hear that the president would not be present for the 25th anniversary in his hometown of New York City.

“When I found out why, I wasn’t surprised at all,” the first responder said, also referring to the reporting about Trump wanting to speak at the event. “I’m very happy that the September 11 Memorial Museum did not bend the knee.”

The first responder was a rookie at the New York City Police Department on Sept. 11, 2001. He said part of his job in the aftermath was searching for the remains of victims at the Staten Island landfill, which served as a primary sorting ground for the 1.5 million tons of World Trade Center debris.

“I hope people will keep in mind the thousands of innocent people that died that day, and also the people who got sick from the days, weeks, months as first responders [and] recovery workers, and just ordinary people who worked in lower Manhattan,” he said. “I especially hope people remember how united we were back then. It was a horrific day, but the love and unity we had for everybody was just unbelievable.”

The National September 11 Memorial and Museum did not respond to HuffPost’s request for comment.

Feal told HuffPost the focus should be on the 25th anniversary and a moment of silence that will be added for the thousands who got sick with 9/11-related illnesses. Since 2002, there have been separate moments of silence to recognize when the World Trade Center towers and the Pentagon were struck, as well as when United Airlines Flight 93 crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

“I don’t care what other [elected officials] have to say,” Feal said. “I know that I advocate for 151,000 people in the World Trade Center Health Program. That’s my only concern.”

The daughter of a 9/11 first responder in the NYPD, who also asked to remain anonymous, told HuffPost she wasn’t concerned the president wasn’t going to be at ground zero.

“We’ve already seen him make the day about himself in the past, so there’s no doubt in my mind that he’d do that again,” she said. “The first responders and families who’ve lost loved ones on that day and the years after don’t deserve that.”