NBC’s Tom Llamas Teaches Audience to ‘Never Forget’ 9/11, as ABC Tries to Bash Giuliani

Nicholas Spinnato
September 11th, 2026 9:58 PM

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As America remembered the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terrorist attacks, all of the network's nightly news program anchors were live from New York City after the morning’s ceremonies. NBC Nightly News dedicated its entire newscast to stories related to 9/11, as it was the only network to cover newly declassified intelligence files that warned of Al-Qaeda attacks before 9/11, while anchor Tom Llamas also closed the show with a strong reminder of why “We must teach so we never forget."

After a full show with moving stories, Llamas closed by mentioning “how some in this country know so little about this tragic event” as “roughly 30 percent of Americans right now were not yet born on September 11th, 2001.”

Llamas then strongly explained the reasons why the country should 'Never Forget':

 

 

We must teach. Teach about the extremism that led to the murders of thousands. Teach about those who rushed into buildings, turned infernos because it was their duty to help. Teach about the heroism of the passengers on a hijacked plane who fought back, giving their own lives to save others. Teach about those who worked on recovery and cleanup on the sites of the attacks, and the impact on their lives years later because of that toxic dust. And teach about those who enlisted after 9/11, answering that patriotic call to serve in wars that would last decades.

The space behind me is where the towers stood. To those who don't know, it may appear to be an empty space, but if you know about 9/11, you can see and you can feel the suffering and sacrifice that reached to the heavens. 

Llamas ended by stating, “We must teach so we never forget.”

A very strong and patriotic speech by Llamas to close out a show that stuck to the importance of the 9/11 attacks.

NBC was also the only network newscast to mention the declassification of Presidential Daily Briefs by the CIA that showed warnings of a possible Al-Qaeda attack before 9/11. Here is that story reported by Gabe Guttierez and introduced by Llamas: 

 

 

LLAMAS: We do have some breaking news related to 9/11 right now, and newly declassified CIA briefings showing Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were repeatedly warned of potential al-Qaeda attacks before 9/11. Gabe Gutierrez joins us now. 

Gabe, one briefing of President Clinton said Osama bin Laden's supporters might use a plane in a terror attack.

GUTIERREZ: Yes. Tom, that briefing came in September of 1998 and warned that Al Qaeda may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a U.S. City, possibly Washington. And by August 2001, intelligence officials were warning of suspicious activity inside the U.S., consistent with preparations for hijackings or other attacks. 

Now, importantly, these documents do not show that officials knew the specific 9/11 plot in advance. The briefings to President Clinton and Bush lacked definitive information about precisely how or when the Al-Qaeda attacks might take place. But 25 years later, they offer some more details about the warning signs and the failure to put those pieces together in time. Tom?

The other networks also had strong moments, but ABC World News Tonight appeared to bash former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani for his comments about current Democratic socialist Mayor Zohran Mamdani in its opening segment on the NYC memorial.

 

 

Whit Johnson’s report segued from a handshake between former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani and current Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who Giuliani and others did not want to attend the ceremony, to a speaker’s remarks on speaking out against hate: (Click “expand”)

WHIT JOHNSON: In the audience, every former living U.S. President, the Clintons, the Obamas, the Bushes, and the Bidens. Vice President JD Vance was there. And New York City Mayor Zohran Mandani shaking hands with former mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had said Mamdani shouldn't be there. Michael Massaroli Jr., whose father died in the North Tower, speaking out against hate.

SPEAKER: You do my dad's legacy and the legacy of all these victims no honor by using this tragedy to spread hate. We have seen a medley of people come up today of all races, all religions, all creeds. And this tragedy is just that. It's a tragedy, and it shouldn't be – I've had to grow up and spend the past 25 years seeing people use it to hate on our Muslim brothers and sisters, to hate on people who don't look like them. And that's wrong. And that does no honor to the victims here. And I want to use the little platform I have to ask for that to please stop.

On the 25th anniversary of the attacks, it was refreshing to see the networks mostly united in their coverage. It was also especially heartening to see Llamas’s strong and patriotic remembrance of the attacks, with hope that its story will continue to be taught correctly to the next generations.

The transcript is below. Click "expand":

NBC Nightly News

September 11, 2026

6:39:59 PM Eastern

TOM LLAMAS:. We do have some breaking news related to 9/11 right now, and newly declassified CIA briefings showing Presidents Bill Clinton and George W. Bush were repeatedly warned of potential al-Qaeda attacks before 9/11. Gabe Gutierrez joins us now. 

Gabe, one briefing of President Clinton said Osama bin Laden's supporters might use a plane in a terror attack.

GABE GUTIERREZ: Yes. Tom, that briefing came in September of 1998 and warned that Al Qaeda may fly an explosive-packed airplane into a U.S. City, possibly Washington. And by August 2001, intelligence officials were warning of suspicious activity inside the U.S., consistent with preparations for hijackings or other attacks. 

Now, importantly, these documents do not show that officials knew the specific 9/11 plot in advance. The briefings to President Clinton and Bush lacked definitive information about precisely how or when the Al-Qaeda attacks might take place. But 25 years later, they offer some more details about the warning signs and the failure to put those pieces together in time. Tom?

(...)

6:57:37 PM Eastern

LLAMAS: Finally, as we reflect on 25 years since the attacks of 9/11, one thing that has come up in our reporting and discussions around the newsroom is how some in this country know so little about this tragic event. Part of the issue is roughly 30 percent of Americans right now were not yet born on September 11th, 2001. So, in many ways, it's up to each one of us to embrace the mantra “Never forget,” but now carry a new one. 

We must teach. Teach about the extremism that led to the murders of thousands. Teach about those who rushed into buildings, turned infernos because it was their duty to help. Teach about the heroism of the passengers on a hijacked plane who fought back, giving their own lives to save others. Teach about those who worked on recovery and cleanup on the sites of the attacks, and the impact on their lives years later because of that toxic dust. And teach about those who enlisted after 9/11, answering that patriotic call to serve in wars that would last decades.

The space behind me is where the towers stood. To those who don't know, it may appear to be an empty space, but if you know about 9/11, you can see and you can feel the suffering and sacrifice that reached to the heavens. 

We must teach so we never forget.

(...)

ABC World News Tonight

September 11, 2026

6:36:20 PM Eastern

WHIT JOHNSON: In the audience, every former living U.S. President, the Clintons, the Obamas, the Bushes, and the Bidens. Vice President JD Vance, was there, and New York City Mayor Zohran <andani shaking hands with former mayor Rudy Giuliani, who had said Mamdani shouldn't be there. Michael Massaroli Jr., whose father died in the North Tower, speaking out against hate.

MICHAEL MASSAROLI JR: You do my dad's legacy and the legacy of all these victims no honor by using this tragedy to spread hate. We have seen a medley of people come up today of all races, all religions, all creeds. And this tragedy is just that. It's a tragedy, and it shouldn't be – I've had to grow up and spend the past 25 years seeing people use it to hate on our Muslim brothers and sisters, to hate on people who don't look like them. And that's wrong. And that does no honor to the victims here. And I want to use the little platform I have to ask for that to please stop.

(...)

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