Trump Hosts 9/11 First Responders at White House With 21-Foot Ground Zero Steel Beam

President Trump hosted a 'Steel Across America' tribute event on the White House Ellipse on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. The Tunnel to Towers Foundation's traveling memorial — a 21-foot, 16,900-pound steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center's South Tower that has crossed 21 states — was displayed for first responders and administration officials. Trump and Tunnel to Towers CEO Frank Siller both spoke; the foundation, started by Siller after his firefighter brother Stephen died in the attacks, said it plans to deliver 343 mortgage-free homes this year, one for each FDNY firefighter lost on 9/11. Vice President Vance traveled to Ground Zero in New York City for a parallel commemoration, while other administration officials represented the White House at the Flight 93 memorial in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. White House spokesperson Olivia Wales said the president aimed to 'renew our sacred vow that we will never forget.'