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As Trump Decides to Skip the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Ceremony, JD Vance Says He’s Looking Forward to ‘Hanging Out’ With Joe Biden

Not him finding an opportunity to bring him up again

By Sanchari Ghosh Sep 5th, 2026, 9:15 am

President Donald Trump will not attend the 9/11 memorial ceremony scheduled for next Friday in New York City. The decision, which appears to be partly driven by Trump not being allowed to speak at the event, marks one of the few times a sitting U.S. president has missed this commemoration. Trump has disputed this characterization, saying simply, ‘Because I’m going to the Pentagon.’

While Trump may not attend, Vice President JD Vance seems eager to. He also appears excited to meet former U.S. presidents there, especially Joe Biden, as he said during a recent appearance. Speaking at a White House event, clips of which have circulated widely on social media, Vance said he was “looking forward to hanging out with Joe Biden” and would “have many, many intense intellectual conversations” with him.

The people’s reaction to this? Well, some people in the comments section of a shared clip think Vance’s words weren’t as straightforward as they looked and were meant to mock Biden. A user wrote, “Nothing honors the anniversary of 9/11 quite like JD Vance turning it into an opportunity to mock someone. Such dignity. Such leadership.” Another said, “JD Vance is a colossal as*h***. Sorry for the language. But there’s no other way to describe a guy who gratuitously attacks a man dying of cancer. Vance is just a bad human being.”

Trump will be delivering a speech elsewhere 

According to the Chicago Tribune, instead of attending the New York City event, Trump will attend a 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon, where he will deliver a speech. His decision has drawn considerable scrutiny; however, he seems determined. According to USA Today, White House spokesperson Olivia Wales on Wednesday revealed that Trump plans to honor 9/11 first responders and New York Fire Department officials at the White House ahead of the 25th anniversary on Sept. 8.

Among those expected to attend the New York ceremony, besides Vance and Biden, are George W. Bush, Barack Obama, Bill Clinton, and Hillary Clinton. New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also expected to attend despite facing some pushback, especially from a petition led by some 9/11 victims’ families — an effort that a separate 9/11 families’ group has itself called Islamophobic. 

Speaking at a news conference in July (according to USA Today), Mamdani had allegedly said that he would proudly honor the families, the survivors, the first responders forever impacted by that horrific terror attack by standing alongside them at this year’s 9/11 commemoration.” He also added, “We will never forget the solemn day felt by all of us who call this city home, and frankly by all of us who call this country home,”

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Sanchari Ghosh

Sanchari Ghosh is a political writer for The Mary Sue who enjoys keeping up with what's going on in the world and sometimes reminding everyone what they should be talking about. She's been around for a few years, but still gets excited whenever she disentangles a complicated story. When she's not writing, she's likely sleeping, eating, daydreaming, or just hanging out with friends. Politics is her passion, but so is an amazing nap.