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Trump and the First Lady Attend the September 11th Observance at the Pentagon, Sep. 11, 2025

September 11, 2025 · The White House · 1:11:26

Embedded from the source channel — never re-uploaded. Watch on YouTube

What happened

President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended the observance ceremony marking the 24th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks at the Pentagon on September 11, 2025, carried in full on the White House channel. The ceremony included the reading of the names of the 184 people killed at the Pentagon, each followed by a bell, with Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff General Dan Caine and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth in the official party.

Secretary Hegseth spoke before the President, saying the young firefighters, border agents, and service members who answer the call give him hope, and that “the life example and even death of Christ follower and American patriot Charlie Kirk give me hope.” He closed: “Like those on 9/11, he will never be forgotten.”

The President opened his remarks with the assassination of Charlie Kirk the day before: “Before we begin, let me express the horror and grief so many Americans [feel] at the heinous assassination of Charlie Kirk. Charlie was a giant of his generation, a champion of liberty and an inspiration to millions and millions of people. Our prayers are with his wonderful wife, Erika, and his beautiful children.” He then announced: “I’m pleased to announce that I will soon be awarding Charlie Kirk posthumously the Presidential Medal of Freedom. The date of the ceremony will be announced, and I can only guarantee you one thing, that we will have a very big crowd.” The President’s observance remarks proper began with the Pentagon’s own history — ground broken on the building on September 11, 1941, exactly six decades before the attack.

Why it matters

The 2025 observance is where the Medal of Freedom award for Charlie Kirk was first announced — one day after the assassination — joining the administration’s mourning for Kirk to the nation’s 9/11 commemoration at the Pentagon, with the Secretary of War framing both in the same address.

Scoreboard watch

This ceremony carries a dated, checkable commitment: the posthumous Presidential Medal of Freedom for Charlie Kirk, announced September 11, 2025, with the ceremony date to follow — to be checked against the ceremony as held.

Sources: The White House, “President Trump and the First Lady Attend a September 11th Observance Event” (official upload, embedded above; the upload’s description places the event in Arlington, VA). All characterizations as stated by Secretary Hegseth and the President at the ceremony. Note: this September 11, 2025 observance is a distinct event from the September 11, 2026 observance paged separately on this site.