NEW YORK (Diya TV) — Former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris made their way to New York City on Wednesday, putting political differences aside as the nation commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. Close to 3,000 people lost their lives that day in what became the deadliest terrorist attack in U.S. history.

It was a somber ceremony that drew together current and former leaders – President Biden, Harris, Trump and his running mate, Sen. JD Vance of Ohio – at the World Trade Center memorial site in lower Manhattan, known as Ground Zero. Standing shoulder to shoulder, the leaders paid tribute to the victims of the carefully coordinated attacks in which hijacked planes crashed into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

These attacks, carried out by terrorist group Al Qaeda, changed the fabric of the nation. The incidents in the World Trade Center killed thousands, while the crash of Flight 93 into Pennsylvania resulted in a heroic defiance by 40 passengers and crew members against their hijackers, no doubt saving quite a bit more.

Just one day after their first presidential debate, a day later Trump and Harris were seen shaking hands as the remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero was about to begin. This could have been a poignant, even moving moment for the two political rivals-bitter opponents who, for one moment at least, put aside vast chasms in their differences to remember the fallen and reflect on a tragedy that reshaped the nation.

Following the event at Ground Zero, Trump planned to visit New York Fire Department Engine 4, Tower Ladder 15, to meet with a group of firemen and first emergency responders. He also was to travel to Shanksville, Pa., where heroic passengers of Flight 93 are memorialized. The site, known colloquially as the Flight 93 Memorial, is located only 20 minutes from the U.S. Capitol.

Biden and Harris Honor First Responders, Victims
Later that day, President Biden and Vice President Harris arrived at the Flight 93 Memorial to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony honoring the passenger’s bravery by deliberately crashing their jet to prevent an even bigger attack. The two were also scheduled to attend a wreath-laying ceremony in Arlington, Virginia, outside the Pentagon, where 125 military personnel and civilians died.

Over 400 first responders, including 23 New York City police officers, 37 Port Authority employees, and 343 New York City firefighters, gave their lives that day in a true demonstration of courage and dedication to duty as people rushed to help during utter destruction.

The commemoration came more than two years after the Biden-Harris administration oversaw the withdrawal of U.S. military forces from Afghanistan. The U.S. had maintained a nearly 20-year military presence in the country following the 9/11 attacks, which had been orchestrated by al-Qaeda terrorists operating from Afghan soil. The Aug. 31, 2021, completion of that withdrawal brought an end to America’s longest war, though to date, it is one of those decisions which is deeply debated.

As the nation mourned the death of thousands of people on that fatal day, the aftermath of 9/11 had keptalive the momentum in national policy, security measures, and global relations. There was a convening of political leaders at Ground Zero, even amidst all differences, to remind people of the shared dedication to the service of the fallen and to the character of this nation for resilience.

Keywords: 9/11 anniversary, Trump and Harris Ground Zero, 9/11 memorial ceremony, Flight 93 memorial, Biden Harris 9/11 commemoration, Ground Zero ceremony, 23rd anniversary 9/11, first responders 9/11, Trump visits Ground Zero, 9/11 Shanksville.