President Donald Trump on Friday vowed that America will always ‘rise up’ and ‘fight back’ when under attack as he paid tribute to the 40 people who died on United Flight 93 when they brought down the plane in a field in Shanksville, Pennsylvania.

In a sobering and patriotic speech at the national memorial, Trump praised the ’40 towering patriots’ who he said ‘took charge and changed the course of history forever’ as al Qaeda hijackers were flying the plane toward Washington.

‘The heroes of Flight 93 are an everlasting reminder that no matter the danger, no matter the threat, no matter the odds, America will always rise up, stand tall, and fight back,’ the president said.

‘The only thing that stood between the enemy and a deadly strike at the heart of American democracy was the courage and resolve of 40 men and women.’

‘Our sacred task, our righteous duty, and our solemn pledge, is to carry forward the noble legacy of the brave souls who gave their lives for us 19 years ago,’ he said.

‘In their memory, we resolve to stand united as one American nation, to defend our freedoms – to uphold our values – to love our neighbors – to cherish our country – to care for our communities – to honor our heroes – and to never forget.’

After he spoke, he and first lady Melania Trump laid a wreath at the Flight 93 Memorial, which contains the names of those who died. A bag piper played ‘Amazing Grace.’

During his remarks, the president also paid tribute to the members of the military that lost their lives in the wake of the terrorists attacks.

‘More than 7,000 Military Heroes have laid down their lives since 9/11 to preserve our freedom,’ Trump said.

‘No words can express the summit of their glory or the infinite depth of our gratitude. But we will strive every single day to repay our immeasurable debt and prove worthy of their supreme sacrifice.’

Trump also offered words to the unit the country on its day of mourning.

‘We were united by our conviction that America was the world’s most exceptional country, blessed with the most incredible heroes, and that this was a land worth defending with our very last breath. It was a unity based on love for our families, care for our neighbors, loyalty to our fellow citizens, pride in our flag, gratitude for our police and first responders, faith in God – and a refusal to bend our will to the depraved forces of violence, intimidation, oppression and evil,’ he said.

‘When terrorists raced to destroy the seat of our democracy, the 40 of flight 93 did the most American of things, they took a vote and then they acted,’ Trump added.

Trump’s visit kicked off a day of memorial services expected to take place at the memorial sites of the 9/11 attacks in Pennsylvania, New York City and at the Pentagon in Washington, as well as across the country.

Earlier, the president and first lady Melania Trump also observed a moment of silence aboard Air Force One at 8.46am, marking the time the first plane hit the World Trade Center 19 years ago.

Democratic presidential candidate Joe Biden visited the Shanksville memorial later in the afternoon, after attending the 9/11 Memorial & Museum’s annual commemoration at Ground Zero in New York, along with Vice President Mike Pence.

It was a different display in Lower Manhattan at the Ground Zero ceremony, where public officials were not part of the program. Biden nonetheless consoled family members in the audience.

While Trump and Biden’s visit will not overlap, Pence and Biden’s did. In a rare moment of detente, Biden was seen approaching Pence after arriving at the ceremony and tapping him on the shoulder to say hello.

Wearing masks, the current and former vice president then shared an elbow bump – the popular COVID-era handshake replacement – as did Biden and second lady Karen Pence.

Although the candidates and country will be focused on the commemorations, the political significance of the two candidates’ visits to Shanksville is hard to ignore, with Pennsylvania being a crucial battleground state.

Click here to read more.
Source: Daily Mail