President Donald Trump’s appearance at the Pentagon’s 25th anniversary commemoration of September 11 quickly became a major online conversation, while former President Joe Biden joined three other former presidents at Ground Zero in New York.
Trump, 80, sat alongside First Lady Melania Trump as the names of the 184 people killed at the Pentagon were read. Images circulated online showing Trump slouched in his chair with his eyes closed at points, prompting critics to revive the “Sleepy” nickname he spent years using against Biden.
Social media users also focused on what appeared in some images to be asymmetry on the right side of Trump’s face. The footage triggered widespread medical speculation online, including unsupported suggestions of a neurological episode. No public diagnosis establishing that Trump suffered a stroke, Bell’s palsy or another acute neurological event during the ceremony has been announced.
The comparisons grew after images emerged from Manhattan, where Biden, 83, attended the Ground Zero ceremony alongside former Presidents Barack Obama, George W. Bush and Bill Clinton. Biden’s appearance drew additional attention given his previously announced prostate cancer diagnosis.
Trump’s speech generated another conversation entirely when he connected the legacy of September 11 to the ongoing conflict with Iran.
“Today we renew the sacred oath that we first swore in their names a quarter of a century ago: We will never, ever forget. That’s why we fight today,” Trump said.
Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth pushed the message further, saying U.S. forces are still “sending terrorists where they belong — to hell — and tankers to the bottom of the ocean.”
Vice President JD Vance represented the administration at Ground Zero, where politicians have been prohibited from delivering speeches during the official ceremony since 2012.
Twenty-five years after 9/11, a day built around remembrance once again carried the weight of the country’s present political moment.