President Joe Biden will visit Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson in Anchorage on Sept. 11 to observe the 22nd anniversary of the 2001 terrorist attacks.
White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre said the visit will happen as the president comes back from a diplomatic visit to Hanoi, Vietnam.
“The president will travel from Hanoi to Alaska to participate in a memorial ceremony with members of the military and their families,” Jean-Pierre said Monday.
White House officials didn’t specify how long the president will be in Alaska, or if he had any other plans on his itinerary.
The president previously stopped at JBER for a brief refueling stop on his way to Japan in May.
Biden’s visit is one of several high-profile visits from federal officials to Alaska in recent months.
First Lady Jill Biden and Interior Secretary Deb Haaland visited Bethel in May, while Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg, Attorney General Merrick Garland and Deputy Interior Secretary Tommy Beaudreau toured parts of the state this month.
Correction: An earlier version of this story, citing information from the Associated Press, misstated that this is the first time a president has not attend any of the traditional 9/11 observances in New York City, Pennsylvania or Virginia. The AP has clarified that former Presidents Barack Obama and George W. Bush did not attend the official ceremonies in 2015 and 2005, respectively, but marked the anniversary at the White House.
Wesley Early covers Anchorage life and city politics for Alaska Public Media. Reach him at wearly@alaskapublic.org and follow him on X at @wesley_early. Read more about Wesley here.
