9/11 Widow Calls Out Obama, Biden and Bush Over 'Saudi Cover-Up' at 25th Anniversary Memorial: 'It's Been One Betrayal After Another'
The widow of a 9/11 victim had harsh words about Saudi Arabia's alleged involvement in the terrorist attacks.
Sept. 11 2026, Published 1:14 p.m. ET
The widow of a 9/11 victim went rogue while reading names during the annual remembrance at Ground Zero, RadarOnline.com can report.
Terry Strada, whose husband, Tom, died in the World Trade Center’s North Tower, called out Saudi Arabia and its long-disputed role in the terror attacks 25 years ago.
Terry Strada Placed Blame on Former Presidents
Terry Strada read some of the names of victims of that day.
Strada, the national chair of 9/11 Families United for Justice, paid a quick tribute to Tom before launching into an accusatory rant singling out former presidents George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden for "protecting Saudi Arabia instead of the families of those killed."
15 of the 19 al-Qaeda hijackers called the Saudi kingdom home, but Strada said the nation has yet to be held accountable for its part in the terror attack.
"My husband, Tom Strada. You are missed more with each year that passes," the widow remarked. "But, how can it be 25 years and still we have no justice for the role that Saudi Arabia played in your murder?"
'Tell the Saudi's to Stop Lying'
She blamed past presidents for allegedly 'protecting Saudi Arabia'.
Last year, a federal judge determined that enough evidence existed to infer Saudi Arabia employed two operatives to assist the hijackers, something Strada noted in her comments.
"Yes, we finally made it into a court and have proved that the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia fomented a rancid culture of anti-American terrorism around the globe and then sent its agents to support the radical Islamist hijackers so they could attack you and all of our loved ones," she alleged.
"But, for 25 years, administration after administration, including leaders in front of us here today, chose to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families," she claimed.
"They withheld evidence...they broke promises, both public and private, it's been on betrayal after another. President Trump can still change that. Tell the Saudis to stop lying," she continued. "Tell them that if they want to be friends with the USA they cannot continue to deny all of this, all of the pain, all of the destruction that we've been suffering through."
Terry Strada's Comment Received a Mixed Reaction
America has close ties to Saudi Arabia.
Her comments led to raucous applause from mourners at the memorial service. The moment nearly instantly went viral, with one person sharing the speech while remarking, "In 24 years of watching 9/11 memorials and the reading of the names of the dead, I have never heard applause. This morning the crowd did – because one brave widow looked at the leaders in front of her and refused to let the day pass in silence."
His post received reactions both for and against Strada's words.
"Good for this lady," one person praised. "President Bush and President Obama both covered up the involvement and complicity of Saudi Arabia."
"Such a brave, eloquent woman. The only one to call out the perpetrators!" a second person said, as a third added, "She spoke for every American Patriot."
However, Strada appeared to be an equal number of critics, with one person bashing, "She ruined the solemnity for those of us who are grieving. It was selfish and disrespectful."
Another agreed, "Very sad that this woman chose to turn this sacred day into a political speech."
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Saudi Arabia's 'Close Ties' to the United States
The two countries have worked together on military operations.
As Radar has reported, there have been long-standing, uncorroborated rumors that the FBI is protecting the Saudi Arabian masterminds of the attack because of America's close ties to the oil-rich nation.
Saudi Arabia has maintained close ties to the U.S. for decades, and it is one of the U.S.' biggest purchasers of military equipment. The two countries also often work together on counterintelligence and military operations.
But Strada’s organization has pursued legal action for years that would hold the Kingdom liable for the attacks that killed 2,977 people at the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and Shanksville, Pa.
