NEW YORK — President Donald Trump\u2019s administration said Friday that it is exploring whether the federal government can take control of the 9\/11 memorial and museum in New York City.<\/p>\n
The site in lower Manhattan, where the World Trade Center’s twin towers were destroyed by hijacked jetliners on Sept. 11, 2001<\/a>, features two memorial pools ringed by waterfalls and parapets with the names of the dead, and an underground museum. Since opening to the public in 2014, the memorial plaza and museum have been run by a public charity, now chaired by former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg, a frequent Trump critic.<\/p>\n The White House confirmed the administration has had \u201cpreliminary exploratory discussions\u201d about the idea, but declined to elaborate. The office noted the Republican pledged during his campaign<\/a> last year to make the site a national monument, protected and maintained by the federal government. <\/p>\n But officials at the National September 11 Memorial & Museum say the federal government, under current laws, can’t unilaterally take over the site, which is located on land owned by the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey.<\/p>\n The U.S. government shouldering costs and management of the site also \u201cmakes no sense,\u201d given Trump’s efforts to dramatically pare back<\/a> the federal bureaucracy, said Beth Hillman, the organization\u2019s president and CEO.<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re proud that our exhibitions tell stories of bravery and patriotism and are confident that our current operating model has served the public honorably and effectively,\u201d she said, noting the organization has raised $750 million in private funds and welcomed some 90 million visitors since its opening.<\/p>\n Last year, the museum generated more than $93 million in revenue and spent roughly $84 million on operating costs, leaving a nearly $9 million surplus when depreciation is factored in, according to museum officials and its most recently available tax filings<\/a>.<\/p>\n New York Gov. Kathy Hochul, meanwhile, voiced her own concerns about a federal takeover, citing the Trump administration’s recent efforts to influence how American history is told through its national monuments and museums, including the Smithsonian<\/a>.<\/p>\n The takeover idea also comes just months after the Trump administration briefly cut, but then restored, staffing at a federal program<\/a> that provides health benefits to people with illnesses that might be linked to toxic dust from the destroyed World Trade Center.<\/p>\n \u201cThe 9\/11 Memorial belongs to New Yorkers \u2014 the families, survivors, and first responders who have carried this legacy for more than two decades and ensured we never forget,\u201d Hochul said in a statement. \u201cBefore he meddles with this sacred site, the President should start by honoring survivors and supporting the families of victims.\u201d<\/p>\n Anthoula Katsimatides, a museum board member who lost her brother, John, in the attack, said she didn\u2019t see any reason to change ownership.<\/p>\n \u201cThey do an incredible job telling the story of that day without sugarcoating it,\u201d she said. \u201cIt\u2019s being run so well, I don\u2019t see why there has to be a change. I don\u2019t see what benefit there would be.\u201d<\/p>\n The memorial and museum, however, have also been the target of criticism over the years from some members of the large community of 9\/11 victims’ families, some of whom have criticized ticket prices or called for changes in the makeup of the museum’s exhibits.<\/p>\n Trump spokespersons declined to respond to the comments.<\/p>\n In all, nearly 3,000 people were killed when the hijackers crashed jetliners into the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field in southwest Pennsylvania during the Sept. 11<\/a> attacks. More than 2,700 of those victims perished in the fiery collapse of the trade center\u2019s twin towers.<\/p>\n ___<\/p>\n