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President Trump and other Washington leaders on Tuesday will mark the 17th anniversary of the terrorist attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, during ceremonies and memorials across the country.
Trump will take part in a morning ceremony at the 9/11 memorial in Shanksville, Pa., where United Airlines Flight 93 crash-landed after a group of passengers thwarted a likely attack on the nation’s capital. Forty passengers and crew members died as a result of the crash.
First lady Melania Trump will join the president at Tuesday’s event.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed on Sept. 11, 2001, when hijackers flew commercial airplanes into the World Trade Center towers, the Pentagon and a field in Shanksville.
Trump will speak in Pennsylvania two days after state and local leaders formally dedicated the Tower of Voices, a memorial at the crash site honoring those aboard Flight 93.
The 93-foot tall tower includes 40 wind chimes, one for each passenger and crew member who died in the crash.
Tuesday marks the second time Trump has observed the anniversary of 9/11 since taking office. Last year, the president spoke at a memorial at the Pentagon, where he vowed to protect America against future terrorist attacks.
While local memorials and vigils are scheduled for Tuesday in towns and cities across the country, here’s a look at what leaders in Washington will be doing to observe the day.
Pence to speak at the Pentagon
Vice President Pence will join Defense Secretary James Mattis and Joint Chiefs of Staff Gen. Paul Selva at an observance ceremony at the Pentagon, where 184 people were killed in the attack.
All three men are expected to deliver brief remarks, and an officiant will read off the names of those who died in the attack.
An American flag will be unfurled down the side of the building at sunrise, just before 7 a.m.
The event is intended for family members of the dead and Pentagon staff, and is not open to the public.
Moment of silence on Capitol Hill
Congressional lawmakers are not in session until Wednesday, but there will be a campus-wide moment of silence at 8:46 a.m. to observe the anniversary of the terrorist attacks. The moment of silence coincides with the time the first plane struck the World Trade Center.
Nielsen to speak at TSA headquarters
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen will attend a commemoration event at the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) headquarters in Virginia.
In addition to Nielsen, TSA Administrator David Pekoske and Norman Mineta, who served as Transportation Secretary from 2001-2006, will also speak at the event.
Both the TSA and DHS were established in response to the events of Sept. 11, 2001.
Democratic leaders
Senate Minority Leader Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) will attend the annual ceremony at the World Trade Center site in New York City.
A total of 2,753 people died at the World Trade Center site on Sept. 11, 2001, after American Airlines Flight 11 and United Airlines Flight 175 were hijacked and crashed into the North and South towers, respectively, resulting in the collapse of both buildings.
House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) will take part in a National Day of Service and Remembrance in San Francisco. Pelosi will deliver remarks alongside the city’s mayor and the mother of a 9/11 victim.
She will then join attendees to pack meals as part of an annual service project associated with the anniversary of the terrorist attacks.
