WASHINGTON, D.C. — U.S. President Donald Trump has paid tribute to the victims and first responders of the September 11 attacks, marking the 25th anniversary of the tragedy with a ceremony focused on remembrance, courage and national resilience.

The event was held on September 8 at the Ellipse near the White House, where Trump appeared alongside first responders, Gold Star families and representatives of the Tunnel to Towers Foundation. A 21-foot steel beam recovered from the South Tower of the World Trade Center was displayed as part of the foundation’s Steel Across America tour. The White House said the beam had traveled more than 10,500 miles across the country as a reminder of the lives lost and the extraordinary acts of bravery witnessed on September 11, 2001.

One of the central moments of the ceremony was the posthumous presentation of the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, a 24-year-old equities trader who became widely known as the “Man in the Red Bandana.” Crowther helped people escape the South Tower before losing his own life in the attack. His mother, Alison Crowther, and sister, Paige, accepted the country’s highest civilian honor on his behalf.

Trump also announced that the U.S. Coast Guard will commission a new Fast Response Cutter in memory of Jeffrey Palazzo, an FDNY firefighter and Coast Guard reservist who was among the emergency responders killed at the World Trade Center.

The ceremony comes days before the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard Flight 93. Trump said the country would continue to remember those who died and those who risked their lives to save others.

The commemoration also highlighted how the legacy of September 11 continues to influence American public life. The White House emphasized the bravery of firefighters, police officers, emergency workers and ordinary citizens who responded during one of the darkest moments in modern U.S. history.

The anniversary observances will continue on September 11, when Trump and Vice President JD Vance are scheduled to participate in commemorative events connected with the attacks.

The latest ceremony placed the emphasis firmly on the people who made sacrifices that day, while the steel beam displayed in Washington served as a physical link between the events of 2001 and a generation still determined to preserve their memory.