On the 19th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, President Joe Biden called for unity to combat division and extremism, saying the attack was an attempt “to tear our nation apart.”
In a brief address at the White House, the president said that 19 years after the attacks, America is still at war — with extremism, hate, and acts of terror worldwide. He urged citizens to rise above our divisions and to focus instead on our common purpose as Americans.
“The purpose of terrorism is to rip away at our sense of a common home, a common purpose, and a common identity,” Biden said. “But today, we come together as one nation, not as Republicans or Democrats, but as Americans, to say that we will never allow such blind hatred and destruction to break us.”
The remarks opened a nationwide moment of silence for the nearly 3,000 people who lost their lives in the attacks on the World Trade Center in New York City and at the Pentagon. At noon, church bells rang in that memory.
Biden also paid tribute to those who risked their lives to save others and the families of those who died or were injured. He also said he was “inspired by the resilience of the American people” in overcoming the attacks and said “that resilience is alive and well” today.
“We remain ever-vigilant, and we remain America— undivided and unafraid,” Biden said. “Today, we come together as one nation to honor the lives taken and ensure the lives still living thrive in the times ahead.”
