9/11 families ask Trump to release unredacted Saudi-related documents at anniversary ceremony
At the 25th-anniversary memorial in New York, families of 9/11 victims urged President Trump to declassify files they say could link Saudi Arabia to the attacks, citing recent court rulings and intelligence material.
Families of victims gathered at the 9/11 memorial in New York on the 25th anniversary of the attacks and called on President Donald Trump to release unredacted documents they believe could implicate Saudi Arabia. The appeal was made by Terry Strada, whose husband died in the attacks, and other relatives who said successive administrations had blocked access to evidence.
"Administration after administration chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families," Strada said, adding that officials had "withheld evidence" and "vetoed JASTA."
The families referenced the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, which Congress passed over President Obama’s veto in 2016, allowing lawsuits against Saudi Arabia. A 2025 district-court ruling permitted those suits to proceed, though it did not find Saudi responsibility.
Legal scholars and investigators have highlighted connections between Saudi nationals Omar al-Bayoumi and Fahad al-Thumairy and two of the hijackers, but the 9/11 Commission did not conclude that the Saudi government sponsored the plot. The families argue that newly released FBI and British intelligence material, along with the court decision, give the president an opportunity to declassify additional records.
White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said the administration had already declassified hundreds of pages related to the attacks and would continue to honor the victims. No comment was given on whether further Saudi-related files would be released.
Other attendees, including former presidents and political leaders, observed the ceremony while relatives of first-responders who later died from health issues also paid tribute.
"It is like the wound never healed, and every year we get salt poured back into that wound," said Dennis McGinley, whose brother worked in the South Tower.
The families reiterated their demand for accountability, describing the ongoing lack of transparency as a barrier to justice.