Three presidents and their wives stood somberly side by side earlier at the National September 11 Memorial, sharing a moment of silence to mark the anniversary of the nation’s worst terror attack with a display of unity.
US Presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama and Bill Clinton all gathered at the site where the World Trade Center towers fell two decades ago. They each wore blue ribbons and held their hands over their hearts as a procession marched a flag through the memorial, watched by hundreds of Americans gathered for the remembrance, some carrying photos of loved ones lost in the attacks.
Before the event began, a jet flew overhead in an eerie echo of the attacks, drawing a glance from Biden toward the sky. For much of the ceremony, he stood with his arms crossed and head bowed, listening while the names of the victims were read. At one point, the president wiped a tear from his eye.
Biden was a senator when hijackers commandeered four planes and executed the attack. Now he marks the 9/11 anniversary for the first time as commander in chief.
The president was spending Saturday paying his respects at the trio of sites where the planes crashed.
From left, former US President Bill Clinton, former First Lady Hillary Clinton, former US President Barack Obama, former First Lady Michelle Obama, US President Joe Bien, First Lady Jill Biden, former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, Bloomberg’s partner Diana Taylor, and Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) stand for the national anthem during the annual 9/11 Commemoration Ceremony at the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, on Saturday, September 11, 2021, in New York. (Chip Somodevilla/Pool Photo via AP)
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