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By Natalie Venegas
Weekend Reporter
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The United States took time on Wednesday to remember the lives lost on September 11, 2001, as political figures gathered in New York City to mark the somber occasion at Ground Zero.
President Joe Biden, former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris were in attendance at the event marking the 23rd anniversary of the terrorist attack which saw hijacked plane attacks kill nearly 3,000 people.
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The annual remembrance falls during the height of the presidential election season, making this year's observance especially poignant.
The day began with Trump and his running mate, Ohio Senator J.D. Vance, arriving at the memorial, where they took photos with attendees. Harris, alongside Biden, followed shortly after, and the political figures stood side by side.
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The night before, Trump had faced off against Harris in a high-stakes presidential debate, but they stood together on Wednesday alongside former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg in a rare moment of bipartisan solidarity.
In addition, as the ceremony commenced, Harris and Trump shook hands while Bloomberg stood alongside.
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For victims' families, however, politics were far from the forefront.
Cathy Naughton, there to honor her cousin Michael Roberts, a firefighter killed in the attack, remarked on the enduring grief that haunts survivors.
"It's just so raw," she told The Associated Press, emphasizing the importance of remembering the names of the victims every year. "It just doesn't get easier."
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As part of tradition, the ceremony focused on the reading of the names of those who lost their lives on September 11.
The ceremony has shifted somewhat over the years. In its early iterations, presidents and other officials read from the Declaration of Independence and other texts. But in 2012, the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum, led by Bloomberg, opted to keep the focus on victims' families, limiting the microphone to those reading names—a tradition that persists.
Newsweek reached out to the National 9/11 Memorial and Museum via email on Wednesday for comment.
Each year during the ceremony, the victims' families read names aloud while politicians play an observatory role.
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Despite the passage of time, the impacts of 9/11 continues to evolve, and communities across the nation have developed their own remembrance traditions. From flag displays to volunteer projects, the memory of September 11 lives on not just as Patriot Day, but as a National Day of Service and Remembrance.
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The 9/11 attacks reshaped national security policies and altered U.S. foreign relations. Two wars followed—one in Afghanistan, America's longest war, and another in Iraq—resulting in the deaths of hundreds of thousands, including thousands of U.S. troops.
This article includes reporting from The Associated Press.
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