Washington (BN24) – President Donald Trump’s administration confirmed Friday that it is examining whether the federal government could assume control of the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York City, a move that could shift oversight of one of America’s most solemn sites away from its current private management.
The memorial, which sits on the former World Trade Center site in lower Manhattan, includes two reflecting pools with cascading waterfalls inscribed with the names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, as well as an underground museum. Since its 2014 opening, it has been operated by a nonprofit foundation chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a frequent Trump critic.
White House officials acknowledged “preliminary exploratory discussions” had taken place but offered no details. During his presidential campaign last year, Trump pledged to designate the memorial as a national monument maintained by the federal government.
Pushback from New York officials and museum leaders
Leaders of the memorial foundation argued Friday that federal control would not only be legally complex, given that the land belongs to the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, but also unnecessary. Beth Hillman, the foundation’s president and CEO, said the nonprofit has raised more than $750 million in private funds, welcomed over 90 million visitors, and generated annual surpluses while maintaining independence.
“We’re proud that our exhibitions tell stories of bravery and patriotism,” Hillman said. “Our current operating model has served the public honorably and effectively.”
Financial records show the museum generated $93 million in revenue last year while spending $84 million on operations, leaving a $9 million surplus after depreciation.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul also criticized the idea, saying it risked politicizing the nation’s most significant modern memorial. “The 9/11 Memorial belongs to New Yorkers — the families, survivors, and first responders who have carried this legacy for more than two decades,” Hochul said. “Before he meddles with this sacred site, the President should start by honoring survivors and supporting the families of victims.”
Victims’ families divided on the proposal
Anthoula Katsimatides, a board member who lost her brother John in the attacks, said the museum is already fulfilling its mission. “They do an incredible job telling the story of that day without sugarcoating it,” she said. “It’s being run so well, I don’t see why there has to be a change.”
Still, the memorial and museum have faced criticism from some victims’ families over ticket prices and exhibit decisions, concerns that Trump’s proposal could tap into as the debate unfolds.
Political backdrop
The suggestion of a federal takeover comes months after Trump’s administration briefly cut staffing for a federal health program assisting survivors and first responders exposed to toxic dust from Ground Zero, before restoring funding under pressure. It also follows his efforts to reshape narratives at U.S. monuments and museums, raising fears in New York that federal involvement could alter how the Sept. 11 attacks are remembered.
Trump’s office declined to comment on the pushback.
In all, nearly 3,000 people were killed when hijackers crashed four commercial jetliners into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field on Sept. 11, 2001. More than 2,700 of the dead were in New York when the twin towers collapsed.
