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 were 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 then traveled to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to participate in a wreath-laying ceremony at the Flight 93 memorial.
At that ceremony, Biden placed his hand on the wreath as the small group he was with bowed their heads.
The president and vice president also stopped by a local Shanksville volunteer fire station that served as a key gathering point for families in 2001.
Biden and Harris later traveled 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.
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.
