At a 9/11 commemorative event, US President Joe Biden wore one of Donald Trump’s signature red hats, a gesture the White House described as a show of “unity” during the anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Biden attended the event with Vice President Kamala Harris at the Pennsylvania site where Flight 93 crashed.
White House spokesperson Andrew Bates explained on X that President Biden discussed the importance of bipartisan unity at the Shanksville Fire Station, reminiscent of the atmosphere after 9/11. In this spirit, he briefly accepted a Trump supporter’s challenge to wear the Trump cap.
Biden, 81, stepped down from the Democratic ticket in July, leaving Harris to continue. He has often described Trump as a threat to US democracy. Despite this, images of him in the Trump 2024 cap spread rapidly online, drawing varied reactions.
Read: Harris vs. Trump: Key Moments from The First Presidential Debate Showdown
The incident occurred shortly after a televised debate in which Trump declared, “Biden hates you,” to Harris. The Trump campaign humorously suggested Biden wore the cap because “Kamala did so badly in last night’s debate.” However, post-debate polls indicated that the audience viewed Harris more favourably than Trump.
Earlier that day, Harris and Trump, both wearing commemorative blue ribbons, had participated in a ceremony at New York’s 9/11 memorial where they, along with other dignitaries including Biden, observed the reading of the names of nearly 3,000 victims of the Twin Towers attacks.
