Presidential Document2026-18959
Patriot Day 2026, the 25th Anniversary of the September 11 Terrorist Attacks
Primary source
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Published
September 15, 2026
Signed
September 9, 2026
Issuing agencies
Executive Office of the President
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 91 Issue 177 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 91, Number 177 (Tuesday, September 15, 2026)]
[Presidential Documents]
[Pages 58571-58573]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2026-18959]
[[Page 58569]]
Vol. 91
Tuesday,
No. 177
September 15, 2026
Part II
The President
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Proclamation 11066--Patriot Day 2026, the 25th Anniversary of the
September 11 Terrorist Attacks
Presidential Documents
Federal Register / Vol. 91 , No. 177 / Tuesday, September 15, 2026 /
Presidential Documents
___________________________________________________________________
Title 3--
The President
[[Page 58571]]
Proclamation 11066 of September 9, 2026
Patriot Day 2026, the 25th Anniversary of the
September 11 Terrorist Attacks
By the President of the United States of America
A Proclamation
A quarter of a century has passed since the terrible
day of September 11, 2001, and an entire generation of
Americans has now come of age with no living memory of
that fateful day. The passage of time must never dim
what will forever burn bright in the conscience of our
Nation. Amid the ashes of Ground Zero, we made a solemn
vow to Never Forget--a vow that must be renewed in
every American heart, taught in every classroom, and
honored in every community across our land.
Twenty-five years ago, beneath a clear September sky,
the peace of our Nation was shattered when radical
Islamic terrorists hijacked four commercial jet planes
and converted them into weapons of mass murder.
At 8:46 a.m. American Airlines Flight 11 was
deliberately flown into the North Tower of the World
Trade Center in New York City. Shadowing closely behind
was United Airlines Flight 175 and within a span of 17
minutes, the South Tower was struck. At that moment, it
became clear that our Nation was under attack. Before
the morning had passed, both soaring towers--the
premier symbols of American economic strength and
prosperity--had collapsed into the city below, claiming
thousands of innocent lives and leaving behind
unfathomable destruction. The time was 10:28 a.m.
Just 34 minutes later, at the edge of our Nation's
capital in Arlington, Virginia, American Airlines
Flight 77 was flown into the Pentagon, the fortress of
American military might, striking down members of our
Armed Forces and dedicated civil servants. Amid smoke
and flames, survivors turned back into the burning
building to carry survivors to safety.
But the horror of that morning was not over. Aboard
United Airlines Flight 93, passengers learned through
frantic cellphone calls of the terror already unfolding
in New York and Virginia. Knowing that their plane was
being used as a weapon, they resolved to fight back.
Among them was Todd Beamer, a devoted husband, father,
and man of deep faith, who calmly led his fellow
passengers in a recitation of the Lord's Prayer before
speaking his last, immortal words: ``Are you ready?
Okay. Let's roll.'' With those immortal words, the
heroes of Flight 93 mounted a daring assault on the
hijackers and forced the aircraft down in a field
outside of Shanksville, Pennsylvania, just 20 minutes
flying time from their intended target of our Nation's
capital. In laying down their lives, those 40 patriots
transformed a quiet field into hallowed ground--leaving
behind an everlasting testament to the unbreakable will
of the American people.
In just a little over two hours on Tuesday, September
11, 2001, 2,977 innocent souls perished in the most
despicable act of terror in the history of our country.
Yet amid the wreckage and carnage of that day, the
world witnessed the courage, valor, and patriotism of
America. Members of the New York City Police
Department, the Fire Department of the City of New
York, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey,
worked around the clock beside almost 100 emergency and
first responder agencies to
[[Page 58572]]
save those still trapped in the rubble and ensure the
safe evacuation of untold thousands of New York City
residents. Rescue workers, medical personnel, and
thousands of volunteers answered the call, risking
their own lives and giving everything they had to help
fellow Americans.
In the hours and days that followed September 11, 2001,
our Nation came together with a unity and purpose that
is distinctively American. We mourned as one people. We
prayed as one Nation. We resolved, with iron will, that
those who attacked us would feel the full measure of
American strength. The terrorists sought to break our
spirit--they failed. They sought to divide us--they
could not. They sought to make us afraid--instead, they
awakened the mightiest force for justice the world has
ever known.
In the days, months, and years that followed, thousands
of American patriots stepped forward to wear the
uniform of the United States Armed Forces. They left
behind their families and communities, crossed oceans,
and carried the fight to our enemies in distant
battlefields so the horrors of that September morning
would never again reach our shores. For nearly a
quarter century, an entire generation of warriors
served, fought, and sacrificed in defense of our
freedom. Many gave their last full measure of devotion,
and countless others returned home bearing the seen and
unseen wounds of war. Our Nation owes them a debt that
can never be repaid.
That September morning changed our country forever,
teaching us that oceans alone could no longer shield
our homeland from the forces of evil, that liberty must
always be guarded by a free and vigilant people, and
that the strength of our Republic will always prevail.
As President, I have no higher duty than to ensure the
safety and well-being of the American People, and from
the very first day I returned to office, my
Administration has been unwavering in its commitment to
ensure that our Nation is defended by the strongest and
most lethal military the world has ever known. I will
never hesitate to protect our country by enforcing a
foreign policy of peace through strength, bringing
swift justice to our enemies wherever they hide, and
vigorously defending our national security interests at
home and abroad.
Today, the hatred that struck us on September 11 still
exists, and the lessons of that day remain as urgent as
ever. We must defend our sovereignty, our values, and
our sacred birthright to life, liberty, and the pursuit
of happiness. We must protect our treasured way of life
against all those who seek our destruction--whether
they threaten us from foreign lands or from among us
within our borders. Most of all, we must ensure that
the memory of September 11 never fades into history,
but remains a living inheritance passed from one
generation of Americans to the next.
For millions of Americans, the memories of September
11, 2001, remain as vivid today as they were 25 years
ago. We will never forget the 2,977 precious lives
taken from us, we will always cherish their memories,
and we will forever hold their families in the enduring
embrace of our Nation. We stand in unending gratitude
to the first responders who answered the call of duty,
including the thousands who continue to suffer from
serious health conditions caused by their service. We
honor the warriors of our Armed Forces who have
defended the sacred cause of freedom in the quarter
century since. Above all, we ask Almighty God to keep
our Republic forever safe, forever united, and forever
free.
By a joint resolution approved December 18, 2001
(Public Law 107-89), the Congress designated September
11 of each year as ``Patriot Day.''
NOW, THEREFORE, I, DONALD J. TRUMP, President of the
United States of America, do hereby proclaim September
11, 2026, as Patriot Day, 2026. I call upon all
departments, agencies, and instrumentalities of the
United States to display the Flag of the United States
at half-staff in honor of the 2,977 victims of the
attacks of September 11, 2001. I also invite the
Governors of the United States and its Territories, and
interested organizations and individuals, to join in
this observance.
[[Page 58573]]
IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this
ninth day of September, in the year of our Lord two
thousand twenty-six, and of the Independence of the
United States of America the two hundred and fifty-
first.
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(Presidential Sig.)
[FR Doc. 2026-18959
Filed 9-14-26; 11:15 am]
Billing code 3395-F4-P
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</html>Indexed from Federal Register on September 15, 2026.
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