Democrat President Joe Biden is set to diverge from tradition by not participating in the 9/11 anniversary ceremonies at the White House or any of the three attack sites. Instead, he will opt for a different itinerary.
On the 22nd anniversary of the attacks, which falls on September 11, President Biden will be traveling to a military base in Alaska, bypassing the customary anniversary events. According to White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre, the President will commemorate the anniversary of the attacks in a memorial ceremony with military personnel and their families in Alaska.
This decision means that President Biden will not be present at the White House on September 11 because he will be arriving in Alaska following a “climate change” meeting in Vietnam scheduled for September 10.
The White House clarified that the President will return to Alaska after his trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, where he will meet with Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other leaders to discuss technological innovation and “climate change,” aiming to strengthen bilateral relations.
In place of President Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris will participate in a commemoration ceremony at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum in New York City, as stated by Jean-Pierre. First Lady Jill Biden will also lay a wreath at the National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia.
This choice marks the first time since the attacks that a President has decided not to observe the anniversary at either the White House or any of the three attack sites. There have only been two instances where a President marked the anniversary at the White House rather than at an attack site: former President Barack Obama participated in a moment of silence on the White House lawn before traveling to Maryland’s Fort Meade in 2015, and in 2005, former President George W. Bush took part in a ceremony on the White House lawn.
On all other 9/11 anniversaries, Presidents have visited at least one of the three attack sites in New York City, northern Virginia, and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
It’s noteworthy that September 11, 2021, was the date President Biden had set for withdrawing all remaining U.S. troops from Afghanistan. However, his Afghanistan withdrawal efforts encountered significant challenges, culminating in a tragic terrorist attack in August 2021 that claimed the lives of 13 American service members who were protecting the Kabul airport during the chaotic evacuation operations.
