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Nation Marks the 25th Anniversary of 9/11 Terror Attacks; Trump to Deliver Remarks at Pentagon 9/11 Ceremony. Aired 8-8:30a ET

Aired September 11, 2026 - 08:00   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

[08:00:00]

JOE "JOJO" ESPOSITO, RESCUE COMPANY 5, NEW YORK CITY FIRE DEPARTMENT: It's something you, you know, learn to love and learn to be that fireman, to say, yes, somebody needs me, I'm going in.

LEIGH WALDMAN, CNN CORRESPONDENT (voice-over): At Ground Zero, the 9/11 Memorial and Museum honors their lives, and the thousands of others killed that day. As the years tick by, Museum Director Clifford Chanin says their mission has changed.

CLIFFORD CHANIN, EXEC. VP AND DIRECTOR, 9/11 MEMORIAL AND MUSEUM: The story of these 25 years is the story of those two moments in time. The moment of the day and then this extended moment of what do you do after such an event.

WALDMAN (voice-over): In Lower Manhattan, I'm Leigh Waldman.

(END VIDEOTAPE)

KATE BOLDUAN, CNN ANCHOR: This morning, America remembers. It's 8 a.m. here in Lower Manhattan, overlooking the 9/11 Memorial Plaza. It's right behind me.

It is a remarkable view this morning. And later this hour, the truly emotional moments will be getting underway. Nearly 3,000 people died in New York, at the Pentagon, and in a windswept field in Pennsylvania that day.

It remains the deadliest foreign terror attack on U.S. soil in American history. Here in New York, the first moment of silence will be marked at 8:46 a.m. It's marking the moment American Airlines Flight 11 hit the North Tower. At the Pentagon, a flag unfurled at sunrise, honoring the 184 people killed there when Flight 77 struck the building's west side.

President Trump is expected to be speaking at the Pentagon at that ceremony, which gets underway next hour. And in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, the morning observance for Flight 93 will be beginning around 8:30, with the reading of the passengers' and crewmembers' names and the bells of remembrance. We're going to take you to all of it.

We're going to bring you all of these moments live as they happen. Right now, I want to bring in Brynn Gingras. She's live at the 9/11 Memorial Plaza.

And we've been able to see through the live cameras and such that we've seen the former presidents have arrived. We've seen a lot of dignitaries arriving, preparing for this is when the real emotion begins, with the reading of the names and these moments of silence. Brynn, what are we going to see today?

BRYNN GINGRAS, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Yes, Kate, I mean, I'm actually almost starting to tear up now because I just saw a little boy. And he's walking around with a T-shirt, has the Twin Towers on the back. He has an FDNY cap on backwards, and he's carrying around his own little hero, a Spider-Man figurine.

I mean, these are the sort of things you see that just bring so much emotion to people in this area because that little boy is just understanding what happened here through the people telling him what happened here. There's also families here. We're starting to see the roses, the American flags being placed into the names that are etched into those memorial fountains, so many that you're starting to not even be able to see parts of the stone.

These are the things, the Kleenex boxes that are around this area. These are the little things you see that really bring you to what happened here, the gravity of this memorial site, the gravity of what today really means. As you mentioned, we're getting started with the ceremony soon, within this hour, so we're starting to see more people, first responders, families, little kids, like I said.

And I talked to one woman who's here. She comes every year. She was a first responder, so was her husband.

She comes alone, and today is her husband's birthday, but she comes alone because her husband can't even return to the site because of the PTSD that he feels. Kate, today there are six bells that are going to toll, of course, for the four planes that crashed, also the two times that the towers fell. But that seventh bell, she says, is going to be so important.

It's one that so many people fought for. It's to honor those who have died from 9/11-related illnesses, and she talked to me about why that bell is so important today and how that's going to feel. Take a listen.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

SONIA AGRON, 9/11 RECOVERY WORKER: My husband and I both have illnesses. He survived cancer, but between the both of us, we have about six different illnesses, autoimmune diseases, no cure. And we know how it's going to end.

And the seventh bell is really going to hit us hard this year because one day it will be ringing for us.

(END VIDEO CLIP)

GINGRAS: One day it will be ringing for us. She knows what her future holds, and that's what so many people who raced to this site, first responders, people who were just staying here in the days and weeks and months and years in the aftermath, breathing in all those toxic airs, that's what they face every day.

[08:05:00]

She takes medications in the morning, in the evening, but she says she has to return to this site every year on this day because she wants to be with the souls, Kate. Just really moving thoughts and emotional feelings from so many people that come here.

And like you said, it's about to begin, and it's really just going to be even more emotional as the day continues on -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: When you just think of that statement, that one day that bell will be for us, that is unbelievable. What an amazing moment. But to know that there is now a bell that will toll for people who are alive today but will not because of what they did, their heroism, what they put on the line and what they gave up in order to help those in need.

Brynn, thank you for bringing us that. We're going to bring much more from Brynn at the 9/11 Memorial site this morning. Send it back to you in studio, Sara.

SARA SIDNER, CNN ANCHOR: Thank you so much, Kate. We all are filled with that grief this morning, just reliving all of it. The trauma for families of first responders on 9/11 certainly lingers to this day 25 years later in the aftermath of all that loss and grieving.

An organization was born to help the children of first responders cope with the loss and fear that they experienced. And now the First Responders Children's Foundation gives free mental health counseling to children of first responders across the country. Joining me now is Jillian Crane, the president and CEO of the organization.

Thank you so much for being here this morning, Jillian. First to you, can you just take us back to 9/11, where you were, what you experienced, and how that experience sparked your interest in being a part of this organization?

JILLIAN CRANE, PRESIDENT AND CEO, FIRST RESPONDERS CHILDREN'S FOUNDATION: I had just arrived back to New York City. I was living in California at the time. I came on September 9th.

I was going to start a project here in New York, and I was staying at a friend's father's loft down on West Broadway, kind of close, actually, about seven or eight blocks from the World Trade Center and West Broadway between Duane and Reed. I will never forget it. I woke up, came down from the loft.

There was no TV, but I just remember standing in the loft looking outside the windows, and all of a sudden, the windows just went dark. And I heard screaming, and it was just the whole room went dark, and I didn't know because there was no television. I hadn't seen what was happening. So someone, a neighbor, came over and said, I know you're here, I know that I have a TV, come to our apartment. And that's when I saw what had actually happened, the airplanes going into the World Trade Center. That building collapsed, was evacuated later that day, walked up, I think I was the last person leaving that area around 2:30, and it was just desolate. One of the buildings was still on fire, and I just walked up to Houston. Actually, first responders had to give me a ride back later that night because I had forgotten some medication I needed. They took me down there with flashlights to get what I needed and leave the area.

And I just will never forget the feeling of watching out that window with the people, everyone running away from lower Manhattan, and all of the vehicles and people, first responders running toward it. And so many years later, 12, 13 years later, when I was asked to join the board of directors at the time of this organization, I jumped at it.

SIDNER: Give me some sense and perspective on the sheer number of children who lost a parent during the September 11th attacks, but also afterwards because of all of the toxic air. What do those numbers look like now, and how are you helping them?

CRANE: I was just at the FDNY commemoration of 9/11 on Staten Island the other day, and seeing, I mean, it was so tragic on 9/11, but the number is more than double of those who have died since. It's just terrible. It's just tragic.

They have left children behind, and we support the families. I have the privilege of knowing families and children who were here whose parent died on 9/11, and then I know children who have a parent who had been injured from 9/11-related illness, from cancer, and they're now caring for a parent, and I know many children whose parent have died from 9/11-related illness, and our programs support all of those families.

SIDNER: Give us some sense of the support because now you not only support those who had to deal with 9/11. I think it started out with 800 children lost a family member, a parent, in this. That's where the beginning numbers are.

Now you're saying that's doubled from 9/11 illness, but you're doing things for them. You are trying to help them through this to this day, 25 years later. What are some of the things that you are doing to try to make their lives just a little bit easier?

[08:10:00]

CRANE: We believe that the children of these first responder heroes are the living legacy of September 11th. They are resilient. They are so proud of their parent.

They carry this incredible pride, and they serve. They serve. Their families serve.

And so our programs are here for them. As you said, we're nationwide now. We grew from this local organization to a national organization. But today, as we talk about 9/11, we believe that the sacrifice that first responders make on a daily basis around the country, if we take care of their children, uplift their children, give them a future that is worthy of the parents' sacrifice and service, that is how we repay and give these first responders peace of mind. So we have scholarships. We just gave out 249 scholarships to children around the country, about a million dollars.

And we have a mental health program for children. It's counseling these kids. Children of first responders carry a huge burden.

They have a lot of anxiety and transfer of PTSD, so our mental health program provides counseling. We have financial support when they need it. We pay bills.

We have bereavement grant when the unthinkable happens and someone dies in the line of duty. And then we have community engagement programs that build trust between the communities and the first responder agencies who serve them.

SIDNER: The children, so often their parent, you know, they don't know if they're coming back, and so they live with that as well. And in this memory of 25 years after 9/11, so many parents did not come back. And what you're doing is really important.

So thank you, Jillian. Really appreciate it.

CRANE: Thank you so much for having us here and for talking about the First Responders Children's Foundation. We need support. We need help to do the work we do.

And we want to honor these families who serve in every community. And today, just remember, we can never forget what happened on 9/11 and that families are still suffering today, and the First Responders Children's Foundation is here for them.

SIDNER: Thank you. Appreciate you coming on.

CRANE: Thank you.

SIDNER: You are now going to be looking at a live look at the 9/11 memorial. You see the crowds have gathered in large numbers there. A commemoration ceremony will get underway honoring the lives of 2,983 people killed 25 years ago.

We will be right back.

[08:15:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: This morning, the nation marks the 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks. We will be seeing ceremonies here in New York City, in Shanksville, Pennsylvania, and at the Pentagon. At the Pentagon, 184 people were killed when American Airlines Flight 77 crashed into the buildings west side. CNN's Brian Todd is there for us live this morning. Brian, walk us through what we're going to be seeing there as ceremonies are soon to be getting underway and many more people have joined you there.

BRIAN TODD, CNN CORRESPONDENT: That's right, Kate. You know, as we get closer to the ceremony, you know, the emotions and the intensity of those emotions among the people who are here just seem to ramp up. I mean, you can tell they're just feeling more of the pain and the emotion of the day the closer we get to the ceremony.

That ceremony starts in less than an hour from now when President Trump and Pete Hegseth, the Defense Secretary, as well as Joint Chiefs of Staff Chairman Dan Caine, will be on the stage. The ceremony starts at 9 a.m. Shortly after that, they will read the names of all 184 people who died here at the Pentagon on September 11th. That includes 125 people inside the Pentagon and 59 people who were aboard American Airlines Flight 77.

That does not include the five hijackers. They will read the 184 names. That will take about a half hour.

Then there will be a prayer, and then there will be a moment of silence at 9:37 a.m. Eastern Time. That is the very moment, of course, that American Airlines Flight 77 slammed into the west side of the Pentagon, pretty much on the first floor level here. And Kate, you know, in talking to several employees of the Pentagon, there are 24,000 people who work here, by the way, but I talked to several employees of the Pentagon who've been here for years and some who haven't been here for very long just about what it feels like to be here.

They said it's just, you know, they described, they had words like sobering and reverence and that they feel just such an honor to be here. A lot of them volunteered just to work at this event because they felt such an emotional pull to be here. And a lot of them were not, of course, old enough, and there were so many young people who work here at the Pentagon.

A lot of them were not old enough to remember that day, but they do work with people who were here that day. What's interesting that they told me was that several of the people who worked here that day and are still here don't want to talk about 9/11. They don't raise it.

They don't talk about the day. One young Army colonel said that she works with an older gentleman who worked here that day and is still here. She said he doesn't even want people to know that he was here that day.

That's how much the pain and just, you know, the wrenching emotion really have not faded for so many people. Today's also a day to remember the first responders.

[08:20:00]

Of course, the hundreds and thousands of first responders who were so heroic in New York at the World Trade Center, hundreds of whom died later from 9/11-related illnesses. Well, that happened here as well.

You had two Arlington County, Virginia, police officers who later contracted illnesses for their response here in the week after 9/11. Corporal Harvey Snook III, he responded right after 9/11. He was here for about a week.

He was trying to find remains and help with the response. He was diagnosed with cancer in September of 2014. He died in 2016.

You also had Corporal Barry Foust. He also was on site here for about a week after 9/11, sifting through and trying to help with remains. He was diagnosed with cancer in June of last year. He died on May 22nd of this year.

So it's a time to remember all of these first responders, in addition to the Arlington County Fire Department, all 282 Arlington County firefighters who were on the force that day responded here in some way, shape, or form. Several of them were injured. None were killed that day.

But just a heroic response from the Arlington County Fire Department. It's a good time to remember all those people as well, of course -- Kate.

BOLDUAN: Absolutely, Brian. We're so thankful that you're there for us all throughout this morning. Also that the weather seems to have cleared up a little bit from the rainstorm that came through early today, as so many people will be there.

So we're very thankful for that. Brian's going to be taking us through the moments there in Arlington, Virginia, at the Pentagon. And here in New York, the ceremony will be getting underway very soon.

I want to give you a look at the 9/11 memorial here in New York City. Many officials and dignitaries have already arrived. Some I have seen.

Rudy Giuliani, of course, the mayor of New York on 9/11. Hakeem Jeffries has arrived. I saw Mayor Mamdani I've seen among the dignitaries who have arrived.

And also, I saw the Clintons arriving. And Mayor Mamdani shaking hands with Rudy Giuliani right there as the officials and dignitaries are going to be sitting. We saw also arriving the Clintons, the Bushes, the Bidens, and the Obamas.

All of the living former presidents will be in attendance here in New York City. So we will be bringing you these moments on this solemn, somber day, but a day to also remember true heroism. Our special coverage of the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks continues in just a moment.

[08:25:00]

(COMMERCIAL BREAK)

BOLDUAN: Welcome back, everyone. As the nation remembers those who lost their lives and everything that was lost 25 years ago today, we are standing by for President Trump to attend the ceremony and remembrance at the Pentagon. Let's get over to CNN's Kristen Holmes.

She's live at the White House for us. Kristen, what are you hearing about today and what we're going to hear from the President coming soon?

KRISTEN HOLMES, CNN SENIOR WHITE HOUSE CORRESPONDENT: Well, it's unclear what he's going to say in these remarks. And it is different, this Pentagon ceremony, than what we're going to see in New York at Ground Zero, just given the fact that at Ground Zero, they have stopped any kind of politicians from speaking. But we will hear from President Trump today.

We are expected to hear, likely, from the Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth, as well as General Dan Caine. Right now, we are watching, right in front of me, I'm seeing various high-level officials getting into President Trump's motorcade as they get ready to depart for the Pentagon. It's going to be the President and the First Lady, as I said, as well as a number of notable officials.

This is a departure from what we've seen in past years from presidents who have often gone to Ground Zero, as you noted, the former presidents are all there. Bushes, Obamas, Bidens, they will be in New York. But President Trump will be on the ground here.

So, a little bit about what we're expecting to see. There will be a solemn ceremony. They will read the names of the lives lost.

And then you will see a series of remarks by those top officials ending with President Trump. It's unclear exactly how long President Trump's remarks are going to be, but we'll be listening closely. President Trump was in New York during 9/11.

It's something that he talks about often, so we'll see how he reflects during this time.

BOLDUAN: It will be, as always, it will be important to hear from the President on this day. Kristen Holmes tracking for us. Kristen, we'll get back to you.

We're waiting for the President to depart and head to the Pentagon. One of the many ceremonies that we are watching this morning. We want to show you now the view from Shanksville, Pennsylvania, this morning, where in just a few minutes a memorial ceremony will be getting underway there to honor those who lost their lives aboard Flight 93, one of the many remarkable stories of heroism from that day 25 years ago.

Our live coverage of this 25th anniversary of the September 11th attacks continues.

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