NEW YORK – Twenty-four years after terrorists brought down the World Trade Center’s twin towers, New York City will pause on Thursday to honor the nearly 3 000 lives lost on 11 September 2001 – but this year’s solemn commemoration unfolds against a backdrop of unprecedented political division that has fractured the city.
Vice President JD Vance is expected to join mourners at Ground Zero in Manhattan, where coordinated attacks destroyed the iconic towers and forever altered the American psyche. The 2001 assault also saw hijackers crash Flight 77 into the Pentagon and Flight 93 into a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back against their captors.
Yet the traditional unity that has marked previous 9/11 anniversaries faces new challenges as New York grapples with a contentious mayoral election that has exposed deep ideological rifts.
Socialist Democratic candidate Zohran Mamdani leads a three-way race against former Governor Andrew Cuomo and incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, with voters heading to the polls November 4. Recent polling from The New York Times and Siena shows Mamdani holding a commanding 22-point advantage.
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The frontrunner’s Muslim faith and status as a naturalised citizen have drawn fierce attacks from President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly called Mamdani a “communist lunatic.” Republican lawmakers have even suggested the candidate should face deportation.
“It was this horrific day that was also for many New Yorkers the moment at which they were marked an ‘other,’” Mamdani told The Times, referencing the wave of Islamophobic attacks that followed the September 11 attacks.
The candidate’s comments underscore how the anniversary resonates differently across New York’s diverse communities, particularly for Muslim Americans who faced increased scrutiny and discrimination in the attacks’ aftermath.
The memorial will begin with a citywide moment of silence at 08:46 EDT – the exact time hijacked Flight 11 struck the North Tower. Religious institutions across the five boroughs will toll their bells as families read aloud the names of 2,977 victims, including passengers, crew members, first responders, and Pentagon personnel.
It remains uncertain whether President Trump will attend this year’s ceremony, breaking with his past participation in New York’s commemorative events.
Thursday’s remembrance occurs as the United States confronts a surge in political violence. Recent incidents include the killing of conservative influencer Charlie Kirk, the targeted assassination of a Democratic Minnesota lawmaker and her husband, and the firebombing of a Democratic governor’s residence.
These events have intensified concerns about the state of American democracy and the safety of public officials across the political spectrum.
The official death toll of 2 977 excludes the 19 Al-Qaeda hijackers who carried out the coordinated assault. Beyond the immediate casualties, the attacks triggered two decades of military engagement overseas and reshaped domestic security policies that continue influencing American life.
As New York prepares to honor its fallen, the city’s political future hangs in the balance – a reminder that even sacred moments of remembrance cannot escape the gravitational pull of contemporary divisions.
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