President Trump is looking into taking over the 9/11 Memorial and Museum at Ground Zero, and many families of the victims are cheering him on. For years, these families have been asking for change. They’ve seen the nonprofit group running the site waste money, while the memory of their loved ones slips through the cracks. Now, with Trump in office, they believe help is finally on the way.
Sally Regenhard is one of those voices. She lost her son, Christian, a firefighter who died on 9/11. She called Trump’s plan “answered prayers.” It’s not just about politics for her — it’s about honoring her son and the others who died that day. Sally leads a group that pushes for better treatment of 9/11 firefighter families. She’s been fighting for years to make sure their stories are told the right way and that their sacrifice is never forgotten.
Trump has promised to turn the site into a national monument. That means it would be protected and managed by the federal government, likely through the National Park Service. That would bring order, respect, and long-term care to a place that has become bogged down in high salaries and poor decisions.
Let’s be honest — the current leadership of the museum isn’t doing the job right. While the site struggles with money problems, the executives running it are giving themselves big pay raises. That’s a slap in the face to everyone who lost someone on 9/11. It’s the kind of thing that makes your blood boil. These people aren’t running a corporate office — they’re caretakers of sacred ground. They should act like it.
One big issue the families have is how the remains of 1,100 unidentified victims are still in the basement of the museum. They want those remains moved to a more respectful place. They also want to make sure that new victims, identified by DNA over the years, are added to the memorial. That’s not too much to ask. It’s basic decency.
Elizabeth Hillman, the CEO of the museum, doesn’t agree with the federal takeover plan. She says it would cost too much and that the current setup works just fine. But that’s not what the families say. And it’s not what the numbers show. The museum is bleeding money, and yet the top brass keep padding their paychecks. That doesn’t sound like a system that’s working to me.
Regenhard said something that really hits home: “In the future, especially the parents of the victims, they’re not going to be here to tell the stories.” She’s right. As time goes on, the people who lived through 9/11 will grow old or pass away. If we don’t protect the truth now, it could be lost. That’s why this change matters.
President Trump is scheduled to attend a 9/11 ceremony at the Pentagon, not at Ground Zero this year. But he’s expected to be in New York later in the day. Even if he’s not standing at the memorial, his actions speak loud and clear. He’s listening to the families. He’s taking steps to preserve the memory of the fallen. And he’s doing what leaders should do — stepping in when others fail.
As a veteran, I know what sacrifice looks like. I’ve seen what it means to risk everything for your country. The men and women who died on 9/11, especially the first responders, deserve more than a poorly managed museum. They deserve a memorial that honors them forever.
Turning Ground Zero into a national monument isn’t just a good idea. It’s the right thing to do. It’s time we stopped treating this site like a tourist attraction and started treating it like the battlefield it became on that dark day. With Trump leading the charge, there’s finally hope that honor and respect will return to Ground Zero. That’s something every American should get behind.
