9/11 families are urging Trump to release unredacted files on Saudi Arabia as Obama’s 2016 JASTA veto resurfaces at Ground Zero.
Twenty-five years after the September 11 terrorist attacks, victims’ families are once again demanding answers, turning to President Donald Trump for the release of unredacted government records they believe could shed light on Saudi Arabia’s alleged connections to the hijackers.
The renewed appeal came Friday at Ground Zero in New York City, where relatives gathered to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people.
Terry Strada, whose husband Tom was killed in the World Trade Center, delivered a forceful message to the Trump administration during the ceremony. She accused successive administrations of failing to provide the accountability that 9/11 families have sought for decades.
9/11 families turn to Trump
Strada urged Trump to release unredacted files that families believe could reveal more about Saudi Arabia’s alleged role in the attacks.
The Saudi government has repeatedly denied involvement in the September 11 attacks. The families’ concerns center in part on connections between Saudi nationals and two of the hijackers who lived in the United States before the attacks.
The 9/11 Commission documented some of those connections but did not conclude that the Saudi government or senior Saudi officials supported the terrorist plot.
Still, families say additional evidence that has emerged over the years warrants further investigation and transparency.
The issue has gained renewed attention after a federal judge allowed a lawsuit brought by 9/11 families against Saudi Arabia to proceed in 2025. The ruling did not establish Saudi responsibility for the attacks, but it allowed the families’ claims to move forward.
Obama’s old JASTA decision resurfaces
The Ground Zero appeal also brought renewed attention to a controversial decision made by former President Barack Obama in 2016.
Obama vetoed the Justice Against Sponsors of Terrorism Act, commonly known as JASTA, which sought to allow families of terrorism victims to sue foreign governments in U.S. courts under certain circumstances.
Congress subsequently overrode Obama’s veto, clearing the way for 9/11 families to pursue legal action against Saudi Arabia.
Obama attended Friday’s Ground Zero ceremony alongside former presidents George W. Bush, Bill Clinton and Joe Biden. Vice President JD Vance was also present.
The juxtaposition of Obama’s presence at the anniversary ceremony and the families’ renewed calls for accountability brought the 2016 fight back into focus.
Families say Trump has a chance to act
For the families, the demand for transparency is about more than the anniversary itself.
Strada and other advocates argue that Trump has an opportunity to release additional records and address questions that have remained unresolved for 25 years.
The families’ push comes as newly released intelligence and investigative records continue to fuel debate over what U.S. officials knew about potential links between Saudi nationals and the hijackers.
At the same time, Saudi Arabia continues to deny that its government played a role in the attacks.
A painful anniversary
The calls for accountability unfolded as Americans marked the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
At Ground Zero, victims’ names were read aloud as families, survivors and officials gathered at the memorial site. Former presidents and current political leaders joined relatives in remembering those who died.
Trump attended a separate remembrance ceremony at the Pentagon, where he honored the 184 people killed in the attack on the military headquarters and spoke about the resilience of the United States.
For many 9/11 families, however, remembrance remains intertwined with their long-running pursuit of justice.
A quarter-century after the attacks, their message to Washington remains unchanged: release the records, investigate the unanswered questions and provide the transparency they say victims’ families have waited decades to receive.
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