Twenty-five years after September 11, 2001, the United States continues to occupy the position that its adversaries sought to wrest from it. That attack sought to strike at the nation’s economic, political, and military symbols, but subsequent history shows that the United States maintained its ability to defend its interests, exert international influence, and respond to those who sought to cast doubt on its strength.
The anniversary being commemorated this week also holds particular political significance. Donald Trump will visit the Pentagon to pay tribute to the victims, while Vice President JD Vance and four former presidents—George W. Bush, Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden—will be at Ground Zero. The joint presence of current and former presidents from different administrations reflects that 9/11 holds a unique place in U.S. history, transcending the partisan differences that divide the country.
The memory of that day also changes every year. An increasing number of Americans were born after the attacks and learned about that date from their families. For those who belong to those generations, 9/11 is part of national history; for those who remember what happened, it represents the moment when the United States had to demonstrate the full extent of its capacity to respond.
And the U.S. response was not limited to rebuilding what had been destroyed. Over the past 25 years, the country has strengthened its security structures, expanded its military capabilities, and maintained a geopolitical influence that remains decisive. The United States has continued to be a central reference point for decisions affecting the international balance of power, while its armed forces have retained a capability that few countries can match.
The subsequent wars resulted in human casualties, economic costs, and decisions that still spark debate both within and outside the country. We need not turn them into a cause for celebration to acknowledge a political and strategic reality: the United States maintained its status as a superpower and did not allow terrorism to define the future of our nation.
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That outcome also belongs to the American people. Millions of people had to adapt to new security measures, shifts in national priorities, and a threat that became part of the public discourse. Even so, economic life went on, businesses continued to operate, families rebuilt their routines, and new generations grew up in a country that did not give up its ability to act.
Twenty-five years later, that resilience matters more than any image from the past. The Twin Towers are no longer part of the New York skyline, and those born in 2001 are now 25 years old, but the United States retains its economic, military, and political power.
That is the reality that must accompany the memory of 9/11. A nation may be attacked, may make mistakes in its response, and may pay enormous costs for its decisions, but as long as it retains the will to defend its interests and the capacity to do so, it will continue to occupy a central place in the world.
