The Trump administration is looking into whether it can take control of the 9/11 memorial and museum in New York City.
The White House said it had “preliminary exploratory discussions” about the idea but didn’t provide any other details.
It noted that during a campaign event on Long Island last year, Mr. Trump said he would make Ground Zero a national monument.
“I am announcing tonight that as President, I will officially make the Ground Zero site at the World Trade Center a national monument protected and maintained by the United States government, so that hallowed ground and the memory of those who perish there will be preserved for all time, preserved forever,” he said at the time.
The lower Manhattan site currently features two reflecting pools where the two World Trade Center towers sat. The names of the dead are engraved on bronze parapets around the pools.
There is also a museum that features artifacts of the attacks, along with photographs, personal items and personal testimonies. It opened in 2014.
New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, a Democrat, did not welcome the idea of a federal takeover.
“Just months after slashing funding for the World Trade Center Health Program that cares for survivors and first responders, President Trump now wants to take over the 9/11 Memorial Museum,” she said in a statement. “The 9/11 Memorial belongs to New Yorkers — the families, survivors, and first responders who have carried this legacy for more than two decades and ensured we never forget. Before he meddles with this sacred site, the President should start by honoring survivors and supporting the families of victims,” she said.
Beth Hillman, the president and chief executive of the 9/11 Memorial and Museum, said the takeover wouldn’t make any sense.
“At a time when the federal government is working to cut costs, assuming the full operating expenses for the site makes no sense,” she said in a statement.
“We’re proud that our exhibitions tell stories of bravery and patriotism, and are confident that our current operating model has served the public honorably and effectively.”
A spokesman for the museum told the New York Times that “nothing in existing law that would give the federal government the unilateral ability to take the site over.”
According to its 2024 filings, the organization made nearly $69 million in program service revenue. Its total revenue came in at roughly $93 million.
There has been criticism over the years regarding the ticket prices and the content of some exhibits.
Any plans for the president to visit the memorial for the 24th anniversary of the terrorist attacks next week have not been announced. Instead, he is expected to attend a ceremony at the Pentagon, and then make his way to New York later that day to attend the New York Yankees game.
– This article includes wire service reports.