MUGO ODIGWE:
00:00:00
Today, as we told you, Americans are marking 24 years since the September 11 terror attacks. Close to 3,000 people were killed in the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon, and a plane that crashed in Shanksville, Pennsylvania. Right now, the annual reading of the names at Ground Zero is underway in New York City. President Trump and First Lady Melania Trump attended a remembrance event at the Pentagon this morning. The president called the attacks pure evil in his remarks. On that fateful day, savage monsters attacked the very symbols of our civilization. Yet here in Virginia and in New York and in the skies over Pennsylvania, Americans did not hesitate. They stood on their feet, and they showed the world that we will never yield. We will never bend. We will never give up, and our great American flag will never, ever fail. Now let's bring in CBS News White House Reporter Aaron Navarro. Aaron, thank you for joining us today. Can you walk us through the president's remarks and what he has scheduled for the rest of the day? Yeah, Mugo, the president began his remarks at the Pentagon by saying that he will posthumously give Charlie Kirk the Presidential Medal of Freedom. He said that he will let the press know the date when that is solidified. He added, quote, "We will miss him greatly, yet I have no doubt that Charlie's voice and the courage he put into the hearts of countless people, especially young people, will live on." The president then talked about Flight 77 that flew into the Pentagon in 2001 on September 11, sharing the stories of those who lost their lives. He made a remark about how the Department of Defense had changed its name to the Department of War and then recognized several service members and children of service members who passed away on 9/11 that were in the audience. After he had a wreath-laying ceremony, the president also spoke to reporters more about Charlie Kirk, saying that he will speak with Kirk's family this afternoon, referring to his wife as a, quote, "wonderful woman," and asked how he can bring people together after all of this. The president said, quote, "We will be discussing that, but you can't replace a man like Charlie Kirk." And then asked about the FBI investigation and the ongoing manhunt, the president said what you've seen on the news is pretty much what he knows and that he is in contact with FBI Director Kash Patel and that there's, quote, "a virtual manhunt out there. So we'll see what happens, but we hope we get him." Continuing his activities today to commemorate 9/11, the president will be going to his home state of New York to attend the Yankees-Tigers game at Yankee Stadium in the Bronx to continue the 24th-anniversary remembrance of 9/11. He's not expected to throw the first pitch as of now, but the Yankees have told fans that there will be high security, which is a given whenever the president goes to a big sporting event like that, and have told both the press and those attending to arrive hours before the game begins. OK, Aaron Navarro at the White House for us today. Thank you for your time.
