President Donald Trump is speaking Friday during an observance ceremony at the Pentagon marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks on Sept. 11, 2001.
The Pentagon’s Sept. 11 observance ceremony starts at 9 a.m. EDT on Friday, Sept. 11. Watch live in the player above.
The National 9/11 Pentagon Memorial in Arlington, Virginia, honors the 184 people who died when a hijacked plane struck the side of the Department of Defense headquarters, killing everyone aboard the aircraft and 125 inside the building.
READ MORE: How to watch 9/11 memorial events as U.S. marks 25th anniversary
The memorial, authorized by Congress in 2001 and opened on Pentagon grounds in 2008, dedicated a stainless steel bench for each victim, arching over a tiny, shallow pool of water. It’s located on the southeastern side of the Pentagon, near where Flight 77 hit the building.
The Pentagon’s observance ceremony Friday morning will include a reading of victims’ names and remarks by Trump.
The New York Times reported last month that Trump originally wanted to speak at the National September 11 Memorial and Museum for the anniversary, but organizers traditionally don’t allow speeches to keep the event nonpartisan. The president spoke briefly at last year’s Pentagon ceremony.
Days before the 25th anniversary, the National Park Service announced the designation of the Pentagon’s memorial site as an “Affiliated Area of the National Park System.” The formal recognition underscores the site’s national significance, park officials said.
Construction crews are expected to break ground a day after the 25th anniversary for a $35 million visitor education center near the memorial site. The center, which has experienced delays, is slated to open in 2029.
