President references his relationship with Sen. John McCain, whose memorial in Hanoi he visited earlier
ANCHORAGE — President Biden on Monday used a commemoration of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks to reiterate his call for unity among Americans of different political stripes, urging all to “honor Sept. 11 by renewing our faith in one another.”Biden spoke at Alaska’s Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson before an audience of service members and their families during a stopover on his return from a trip to India and Vietnam, paying tribute to those who lost their lives on Sept.
“These trips are an essential part of how we ensure the United States is flanked by the broadest array of allies and partners, who will stand with us and deter any threat to our security, to build a world that is safer for all of our children — something that today of all days we’re reminded of is not a given,” Biden said.
White House aides said that the president cared deeply about marking the anniversary and that he observed it appropriately by meeting with service members and first responders on a military base. Other administration officials, meanwhile, did visit the crash sites: Vice President Harris traveled to New York, first lady Jill Biden visited the Pentagon, and second gentleman Douglas Emhoff took part in a wreath-laying ceremony in Shanksville.
In Alaska, Biden referenced that visit to the McCain memorial, stressing that he was close friends with the Arizona Republican despite their strong political differences. He recalled visiting McCain shortly before he died of brain cancer in 2018. “As I was walking out, I put my hand on his chest and he pulled me down and kissed me and said, ‘I love you — will you do my eulogy?’"Biden recalled. “John and I were friends, like a lot of us who had differences.
Still, some human rights activists criticized Biden’s effort to move closer to Vietnam, citing Hanoi’s harsh treatment of dissidents.
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