Vance jokes about rubbing elbows with former president at Ground Zero: ‘Intense intellectual conversations’
Vice President JD Vance said he is looking forward to seeing former President Joe Biden in New York next week, joking that they would have "intense intellectual conversations" when they meet at Ground Zero for the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The remark, made during his first press briefing since Karoline Leavitt's departure as press secretary, highlights the unusual gathering of current and former US leaders expected to mark the anniversary together, despite the political rivalry between the Trump administration and Biden.
Vance will join former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton, along with former first ladies Hillary Clinton and Laura Bush, at the New York remembrance ceremony, while President Donald Trump attends a separate event at the Pentagon and other officials represent the administration in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Vance said the arrangement reflects the need to honour all three sites affected by the 2001 attacks, and described the anniversary as a meaningful, unifying occasion, recalling taking his own children to see victims' names during the 2024 campaign.
In short
- Vance jokes about meeting Biden at Ground Zero 9/11 anniversary event
- Trump to attend Pentagon ceremony instead of New York
- Former presidents and first ladies to join New York remembrance
Explained simply
The 11 September 2001 attacks involved the hijacking of four passenger planes by al-Qaeda, an Islamist militant group. Two planes struck the World Trade Center in New York, one hit the Pentagon near Washington, and another crashed in Pennsylvania after passengers intervened.
The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and led to major changes in US security and foreign policy, including the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Each year, ceremonies remember those killed at the three crash sites: Ground Zero in New York, the Pentagon and Shanksville.
The ceremonies bring together national leaders from different political parties, including current and former presidents. Their presence reflects the anniversary’s role as a public act of remembrance, even amid political rivalry.