On Wednesday, President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, and former President Donald Trump commemorated the 23rd anniversary of the 9/11 attacks at Ground Zero, where hijacked planes crashed in 2001, claiming nearly 3,000 lives.
Biden and Harris began their day with a visit to the World Trade Center site in New York City, where the Twin Towers were brought down by hijacked planes.
Biden and Trump shook hands, and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg appeared to facilitate a handshake between Harris and Trump. Then, the presidential rivals stood only a few feet apart, with Biden and Bloomberg between them, as the observance began with the tolling of a bell and a moment of silence.
There were no formal remarks at the “ground zero” site where planes brought down the World Trade Center’s twin towers. Instead, wives, husbands, sisters, brothers, and grandchildren read out the names of family members killed 23 years ago.
After New York, Biden and Harris flew to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, where passengers on United Flight 93 overcame the hijackers and the plane crashed in a field, preventing another target from being hit.
At a white marble memorial in the field, Biden gently laid a hand on the wreath to pay his respects to the 40 people killed in the crash. He and Harris were joined by Calvin Wilson, the brother-in-law of Flight 93 co-pilot LeRoy Homer Jr.
The president and vice president spoke with local fire officials at the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department, pausing for a moment to observe another memorial, erected on an adjacent hill where 40 flags waved in the wind.
There, Biden spoke about the need for the country to return to bipartisan unity and gave a hat to a Trump supporter, who gave him a Trump hat in return, according to spokesperson Andrew Bates.
Biden wore the hat, making for a viral photograph. “Thanks for the support, Joe,” the Trump campaign wrote on social media.
Biden and Harris later headed to a memorial at the Pentagon. There, they carried a wreath decorated in red, white, and blue, bowed their heads, and stood before it for a few moments before “Taps” played.
“On this day 23 years ago, terrorists believed they could break our will and bring us to our knees. They were wrong. They will always be wrong. In the darkest of hours, we found light. And in the face of fear, we came together—to defend our country, and to help one another,” Biden said in a statement.
Trump, who visited the Pennsylvania memorial on Wednesday, told Fox News: “It was very, very sad, horrible day. There’s never been anything like it.”
Biden earlier issued a proclamation honoring those who died as a result of the attacks, as well as the hundreds of thousands of Americans who volunteered for military service afterward.
“We owe these patriots of the 9/11 Generation a debt of gratitude that we can never fully repay,” Biden said, citing deployments to Afghanistan, Iraq, and other war zones, as well as the capture and killing of Sept. 11 mastermind Osama bin Laden.
Communities across the country have developed various traditions to honor the day, from laying wreaths and displaying flags to volunteer efforts and police radio broadcasts.
Reuters and The Associated Press contributed to this report.