New York [US], September 12: President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump and his running mate, Sen JD Vance of Ohio, all stood together at the memorial in New York City for victims of the Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks.
Standing in the same row at the ceremony were Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Biden, Harris, Michael Bloomberg, Trump, Vance and former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani. Giuliani, now a close Trump ally, was mayor at the time of the attack, and Bloomberg was elected mayor in November 2001.
Harris and Trump were fresh off their contentious debate on Tuesday night in Philadelphia, where they traded barbs over immigration, abortion, the economy, foreign policy and more. It's unclear if there will be another debate.
Harris and Trump shook hands before the ceremony. Trump was asked on Fox & Friends ahead of the ceremony if he'd speak to Harris at the memorial.
"Oh, I don't know," he replied. "I'm not sure." The names of the 2,983 victims of the terrorist attacks at the 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, aboard Flight 93 and in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing were read aloud by family members of the victims.
Citywide moments of silence took place at 8.46am marking the moment when hijacked Flight 11 struck the North Tower, and 9.03am, when hijacked Flight 175 struck the South Tower. Another moment of silence followed at 9.37am, the time when hijacked Flight 77 struck the Pentagon.
Biden, Harris and Trump all planned to travel to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where United Flight 93 crashed on Sept 11, 2001. Biden and Harris were expected to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Flight 93 National Memorial on Wednesday afternoon.
After the ceremony at Ground Zero, Trump and Vance visited Engine Company 4, Ladder Company 15 in downtown Manhattan. Vance also visited the BGC trading floor, which is part of Cantor Fitzgerald. The global financial firm had more than 650 employees killed in the Sept 11 attacks.
Trump was expected to be at the United Flight 93 Memorial for a private wreath-laying ceremony.
Source: Qatar Tribune