Trump seeks federal takeover of 9/11 memorial from New York control

The White House confirmed preliminary exploratory discussions about a federal role at the 9/11 Memorial on Sept. 5, 2025. White House officials described the talks as preliminary and exploratory, not a formal takeover plan. President Trump pledged during the 2024 campaign at a Long Island rally to designate Ground Zero as a national monument.

The memorial sits on land controlled by the PAPort Authority of New York and New Jersey, not on federal land. The museum operates as an independent nonprofit public charity that runs the exhibits and fundraising. Those ownership and governance structures limit unilateral federal seizure without clear legal authority. Museum officials said they see no existing law that would give the federal government the unilateral ability to take the site.

The museum raised about $750 million in private funds since its 2014 opening. Officials say the memorial and museum have hosted roughly 90 million visitors since opening. Reported 2024 figures showed about $93 million in revenue and $84 million in operating costs, leaving a $9 million surplus. The museum relies on admissions, donations, and private grants to fund operations and educational programs.

Gov. Kathy Hochul condemned the exploratory talks as political meddling with a sacred site for families and first responders. Many survivors and families said they were alarmed and urged that the site remain independent and family-centered. Critics compared the move to other cultural interventions by the administration earlier in 2025. Michael Bloomberg, as board chair and major donor, publicly opposed federal intervention in the museum's governance.