Harris and Trump shake hands at New York 9/11 remembrance ceremony on 23rd anniversary of attacks
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(CNN) — President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump and Sen. JD Vance are commemorating the 23rd anniversary of the September 11 attacks, appearing to put political hostilities on the back burner for a moment as the nation remembers the tragedy.
All four leaders are in New York on Wednesday for a commemoration event at Ground Zero in Manhattan. Trump and Harris, just hours past their first in-person meeting at the presidential debate Tuesday night, shook hands ahead of solemn commemorative ceremonies after Harris turned toward Trump and both extended a hand. Vance and Harris did not appear to interact.
Harris and Biden will then travel to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Flight 93 memorial, according to a White House schedule. Later in the afternoon, they will both travel to the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, for another wreath laying ceremony.
Trump will also travel separately to Shanksville later on Wednesday, according to a source familiar with his plans.
Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, the Democratic nominee for vice president, will also attend an event to commemorate the anniversary. His office did not say where the event will take place.
While candidates in active campaigning in past years have traditionally avoided politics on the anniversary of the attacks, this campaign cycle is notable for its toxicity and it remains to be seen how and whether each campaign will engage in politics on Wednesday.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed when Islamist terrorists hijacked four commercial airliners on September 11, 2001. Two planes were crashed into each of the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in Lower Manhattan. Another plane was crashed into the Pentagon, and the fourth crashed in a field in rural Pennsylvania after passengers tried to thwart the hijacking.
Last year, Biden marked the 22nd anniversary with a ceremony involving American service members in Alaska. During that ceremony, the president falsely claimed he visited Ground Zero “the next day” after the attacks. He actually went nine days later.
The president visited the Pentagon during the anniversary in 2022. In 2021, he and first lady Jill Biden also traveled to each of the three sites of the terror attack. They were joined by former President Barack Obama and former first lady Michelle Obama at the New York remembrance.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
CNN’s Kit Maher and Betsy Klein contributed to this report.
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