Trump Awards Medal of Freedom to 9/11 Hero Welles Crowther

Trump gathered first responders and military personnel on the White House Ellipse Tuesday to honor victims and heroes of the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks ahead of the 25th anniversary.

• 16,900-pound steel beam recovered from the South Tower was displayed on the Ellipse.
• 343 FDNY firefighters died on Sept. 11; over 400 more have since died of related illness.
• Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther.
• Crowther, 24, saved 18 people before dying when the South Tower collapsed.

Why it matters: The Steel Across America tour has covered more than 10,500 miles across 21 states since May, returning the artifact to Ground Zero on the anniversary date.

• Tunnel to Towers was founded in honor of FDNY firefighter Stephen Siller, killed in the attacks.
• Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the Sept. 11 attacks across New York, Virginia, and Pennsylvania.

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What’s next: The Coast Guard will commission a fast-response cutter named for firefighter Jeffrey Palazzo in New York this weekend.

• The steel beam is scheduled to arrive at Ground Zero on Sept. 11 to mark the anniversary.
• What permanent memorial or policy actions, if any, will the administration announce on the anniversary itself?