Blanche Promises More 9/11 Files After Families Press Trump — Rejects Claims of Shielding Saudi Arabia

Attorney General Todd Blanche said Monday that the Trump administration will release additional records related to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, while rejecting allegations that documents are being withheld to protect Saudi Arabia or any other government.

Blanche told CBS News in an exclusive interview,

"There'll be more records coming out. The one thing that we are not doing, we're not protecting people. The reason that we're not releasing documents has nothing to do with protecting any government or any entity. It's just to protect genuine classified information."

Families Renew Calls for Unredacted Records

His remarks followed renewed demands from 9/11 family members, who used the 25th-anniversary commemoration in New York to press for the release of unredacted files. Families are especially focused on information that could clarify possible links between the hijackers and individuals with ties to Saudi Arabia.

Members of the families have pursued a long-running lawsuit against Saudi Arabia alleging that individuals connected to the Saudi government assisted two hijackers. In August 2025, U.S. District Judge George B. Daniels allowed parts of that lawsuit to proceed, finding sufficient evidence to support claims involving Omar al-Bayoumi, Saudi cleric Fahad al-Thumairy, and alleged assistance to hijackers Nawaf al-Hazmi and Khalid al-Mihdhar.

Classified Material And Potential Releases

Blanche emphasized that some records remain classified for legitimate national security reasons, but said additional documents that were improperly classified could be made public after review. He did not provide a timetable for further releases.

President Donald Trump told reporters in Ireland that he would "look at" the families’ request when he returned to the United States, according to Reuters.

Evidence Cited By Families

Central to the families’ allegations is Omar al-Bayoumi, who met Hazmi and Mihdhar in San Diego and helped them find housing. Evidence produced through litigation has included video of Bayoumi filming entrances to the U.S. Capitol and identifying its position relative to the Washington Monument, and items seized from his British apartment that were later turned over to the FBI.

The 9/11 Commission’s 2004 report concluded there was no evidence that the Saudi government as an institution or senior Saudi officials individually funded al-Qaida, but it noted that charities with substantial Saudi government sponsorship could not be fully ruled out as a channel for funds.

Separate Releases By Intelligence Agencies

The administration has already released a significant volume of related material. On Friday, CIA Director John Ratcliffe declassified 71 President’s Daily Brief (PDB) products covering the period before the attacks through the day after, which the CIA called its largest single release of declassified presidential briefing material tied to 9/11. Those briefs document intelligence concerns about Osama bin Laden and al-Qaida prior to the attacks, but they are distinct from the specific records families are seeking about possible Saudi links.

Blanche reiterated the administration’s position: "It's not as if we're keeping records from the American people," and said the government will continue reviewing classified material to determine what can be released without harming national security.

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