President Donald Trump said Sunday that he will look into requests from families of Sept. 11 victims to release records that could shed light on Saudi Arabia's alleged role in the attacks 25 years ago.
The families have asked Trump to declassify and release the relevant records. Asked about it during his trip to Ireland, Trump said he would consider it and added, 'I’m going to look at it when I get back.' He said, 'I know they asked me Friday.'
Several families have long alleged that a group of extremist religious leaders in Saudi Arabia gained influence in the Saudi government and aided the hijackers. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, while the Saudi government has long denied any involvement in the attacks.
The relatives of 9/11 victims have been engaged in a lengthy legal battle against the Saudis. Terry Strada, who lost her husband Tom Strada on 9/11, called on Trump during the remembrance in New York City on Friday to 'tell the Saudis to stop lying.'
Strada said U.S. presidents had chosen 'to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families.' She added that the current administration should 'stand with the families, stand with the survivors.'
The market has already voted on a basic truth of governance: families want answers, and the state controls the records. If declassification moves forward, it would be another test of whether public institutions serve citizens first or protect old alliances behind closed doors.
For families, the issue is not abstract. It is about accountability, access to information and the government’s duty to stop treating disclosure like a privilege. Capital rewards clear rules; trust in institutions does the same.
