Obama pays tribute to lives lost, lessons from 25th anniversary of 9/11: ‘We can survive even the darkest days’ | Today’s news
On the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, former President Barack Obama issued a statement on behalf of himself and former First Lady Michelle Obama. Remembering the grief of families, the lives lost and the overall loss of Americans, Obama emphasized the lessons of the tragic day.
Barack Obama on the anniversary of 9/11
In a statement, Obama expressed his appreciation for the first responders who responded to the 9/11 attacks: “If you were young in 2001 or not yet born, it may be hard to imagine what it was like on 9/11. The shock of that beautiful, cloudless morning. The grief of families whose loved ones were taken with such speed and cruelty that we were closer to realizing the will and cruelty of men.”
Obama also pointed to what happened next, emphasizing “the will of the United States of America indeed.”
“But in the days that followed, we felt something else, too. Pride in the rescuers who rushed to the scene and the passengers who burst into the cockpit. Admiration for the men and women who left behind a life of comfort to serve their country. A deep resolve that nothing would break the will of the true United States of America.”
Clinton calls it a “nightmare”
In addition to Obama, former President Clinton also reflected on the attacks.
“We can’t erase the nightmare that so many lived and still live with today, but we can support the people who gave and lost so much by treating each other with respect, in person and online, and realizing that what we have in common is far more important than what divides us,” he said.
George W. Bush remembers the attacks
Former President George W. Bush, who was president during the 9/11 attacks, recalled that day and said during an interview with Rice, “I didn’t have a lot of time to process it, but it was pretty clear to me that if we were attacked, my job was to defend a child who was reading to me, her family, and her country.
Michelle Obama and Barack Obama were among those attending the 25th anniversary of 9/11 commemoration Friday at the National 911 Memorial and Museum in New York.
Trump attends the memorial
President Donald Trump attends a memorial at the Pentagon. He is joined by Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, First Lady Melania Trump and former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice.
