Trump Says He Will Consider Releasing Records Sought by 9/11 Families
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President Donald Trump said Sunday, September 13, 2026, that he would examine a request from families of September 11 victims to release federal records that they believe could shed light on alleged Saudi connections to the attacks.
Trump made the statement while departing Ireland for Washington, two days after the 25th-anniversary commemorations on September 11. He said he would look at the families’ request when he returned.
The statement could reopen a long-running records dispute, but it was not an order to declassify documents or a commitment to release them. Trump announced no deadline, agency directive or specific records that would be made public.
What the families are seeking
The families have pursued federal records through a continuing legal and administrative effort. According to the Associated Press, they have asked Trump to declassify and release material they believe could help clarify whether Saudi officials or institutions had connections to people involved in the attacks.
Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were from Saudi Arabia, while the Saudi government has long denied involvement in the attacks. The existence of classified, redacted or unreleased records does not by itself establish wrongdoing.
The FBI’s account of the 9/11 investigation provides background on the attacks and the scale of the federal inquiry. It does not indicate that Trump’s statement has resulted in the release of any new investigative material.
The records are spread across federal collections
The relevant material is not one unified file held by a single agency. Records connected to the attacks may be held by the FBI, the 9/11 Commission, the Federal Aviation Administration and other federal offices, with different rules governing access.
The National Archives says it has legal custody of the 9/11 Commission’s records, which include approximately 570 cubic feet of textual material and a large percentage of national-security-classified files. The commission’s records are not subject to the Freedom of Information Act because the commission was part of the legislative branch. Unreleased material is processed as documents are requested.
National Archives guidance on Federal Aviation Administration records also shows why access can vary. Some processed records are available online, while others are not digitized, contain redactions or require a Freedom of Information Act request or special-access procedure. The Archives says some redactions may be challenged through a re-review request.
Any future action could therefore involve several record holders and separate reviews. A presidential expression of interest does not automatically override classification rules, statutory restrictions, privacy protections or prior release procedures.
What happens next
The next concrete signal would be an official White House or agency action, such as a formal review, referral, records decision or release. No timetable has been announced.
The timing follows the White House’s September 9, 2026, Patriot Day proclamation marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks and designating September 11, 2026, as Patriot Day.
The immediate effect of Trump’s statement is renewed attention to the families’ request and to the government’s handling of 9/11 information. Whether it leads to documents becoming public will depend on the records involved, who controls them and what legal restrictions apply.
For now, nothing has been released as a result of the statement. The central question is whether Trump’s stated intention becomes a formal review or remains an unimplemented consideration.
Sources
- Associated Press: Trump says he’ll consider releasing 9/11 records after families’ request
- FBI: 9/11 Investigation
- National Archives: 9/11 Commission Records
- White House: Patriot Day 2026 proclamation
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