Joe Biden can’t even commemorate the 9/11 Attacks properly. The president won’t be at the White House or travel to any of the three sites targeted in our nation’s deadliest terror attack, a break from tradition. Instead, Joe will be in Alaska, part of his return to his trip to Asia which begins Thursday. Who thought this was a good idea?
On the 22nd anniversary of the attack, Joe Biden won’t be at the White House, Pentagon, New York City, or Shanksville, Pennsylvania. He'll be at a military base in Alaska to mark the occasion, while also making yet another political unforced error (via Fox News):
On Monday, Sept. 11, Biden will travel to a military base in Alaska where he will mark the 22nd anniversary of the attacks in a memorial ceremony with members of the military and their families, White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said in a statement Monday.
The White House explained that the president will travel to Alaska to mark the somber occasion after his Sept. 10 trip to Hanoi, Vietnam, where he will meet with Vietnamese General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong and other leaders to discuss technological innovation and climate change in an effort to bolster the two nations' relationship.
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Biden's plans for Sept. 11 represent the first time since the attacks that a president has opted against observing the occasion at either the White House or any of the three attack sites.
Former President Barack Obama participated in a moment of silence on the White House lawn before traveling to Maryland's Fort Meade in 2015, The Associated Press reported. In 2005, former President George W. Bush similarly participated in a ceremony on the White House lawn.
On every other 9/11 anniversary, presidents have traveled to at least one of the three attack sites in New York City, northern Virginia and Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
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Ex-New York Gov. George Pataki ripped President Biden as a “disgrace” Thursday over his decision to commemorate 9/11 in Alaska — instead of any of the actual sites targeted in the worst terrorist attack on US soil.
Rather than participating in any observances at 9/11 memorial sites in New York City, Virginia or Pennsylvania, the 80-year-old president will join service members and their families at a military base in Anchorage, the White House confirmed this week.
“The fact that he is not doing anything to commemorate that horrible day is a disgrace,” Pataki, 77, said in an interview with WABC radio.
The Republican quipped that Biden was trying to avoid the Big Apple because “he’s afraid someone is going to ask him about the migrants.”
Biden delivered remarks at the Pentagon during last year’s anniversary. He should not have deviated from that agenda item.
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