Trump repeats debunked 9/11 claim about firefighters carrying him from Ground Zero
President Donald Trump, at a September 2026 Tunnel to Towers Foundation event in Washington, D.C., repeated a disputed claim that two firefighters carried him away from One Liberty Plaza near Ground Zero after the 9/11 attacks because the building was creaking. Fact-checkers from CNN and PolitiFact found no evidence supporting the story, noting Trump was in Trump Tower when the towers were hit and first told a similar version in 2016. Trump defended the account on Truth Social.
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Trump Repeats Disputed Claim About Firefighters Carrying Him Near Ground Zero After 9/11
President Donald Trump, speaking at a Tunnel to Towers Foundation event on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., on September 8, 2026, repeated a disputed anecdote about his actions after the 9/11 attacks. Trump claimed that two firefighters lifted him and carried him away from the U.S. Steel Building (One Liberty Plaza) near Ground Zero because it was creaking and feared to be collapsing. He said he had brought a construction crew to the site 'right after' the attacks. Fact-checkers, including CNN's Daniel Dale and PolitiFact, quickly challenged the claim, noting that Trump was in Trump Tower miles away when the towers were hit, that he first told this story in 2016, and that there is no public evidence he was inside One Liberty Plaza after the attacks. Trump later defended his remarks on Truth Social, clarifying he visited 'obviously not on the same day as the collapse, but shortly thereafter,' and posted a 2001 video of himself at Ground Zero on September 13, which does not mention any encounter with firefighters.
Trump Repeats Disputed Claim About Firefighters Carrying Him Near Ground Zero on 9/11
On September 9, 2026, President Donald Trump spoke at the Tunnel to Towers Foundation's Steel Across America tour on the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., honoring the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. During his remarks, Trump repeated a disputed anecdote claiming that two firefighters carried him away from the U.S. Steel Building (One Liberty Plaza) near ground zero because it was 'creaking' and at risk of collapse. He said this occurred 'right after' the attacks, though later clarified on Truth Social that he visited 'obviously not on the same day as the collapse, but shortly thereafter.' Trump attached a 2001 video of himself speaking near ground zero on September 13, but it does not mention any firefighter encounter. CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale and PolitiFact noted there is no public evidence Trump was inside One Liberty Plaza after the attacks, and that he first told a similar story in 2016, specifying it happened 'a couple of days' later. The article highlights ongoing scrutiny of Trump's 9/11 narratives.
Read sourceTed Cruz Offers Defense of Trump's Bizarre 9/11 Story, Suggests Memory Lapses
Senator Ted Cruz offered a defense of President Donald Trump's widely publicized and decontextualized 9/11 story, suggesting that Trump's memory may not be what it used to be due to the traumatic nature of the event and the passage of 25 years. CNN's Kaitlan Collins asked Cruz about Trump's claim that he was carried out from under One Liberty Plaza by firefighters shortly after the attacks. Cruz stated that Trump is a New Yorker who loves New York and that he has 'every doubt' that what Trump conveyed is what he experienced, though he appeared to misspeak. The article notes that Trump's anecdote has been debunked by CNN's Daniel Dale, who pointed out inconsistencies with previous versions of the story. The New Republic characterizes Trump's 9/11 tribute as a 'Trump-fest' that veered into boosting his agenda and attacking democratic socialists, and criticizes the anecdote for making light of the experiences of other New Yorkers.
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Trump Attacks Fact-Checks of His Inconsistent 9/11 Ground Zero Story
President Donald Trump reacted angrily on Truth Social to fact-checks by New York magazine and CNN's Daniel Dale regarding his evolving account of his whereabouts after the September 11, 2001 attacks. In a speech at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C., Trump claimed he was working on a 'big building' during the attacks and later took a construction crew to Ground Zero, where two firefighters allegedly lifted him away from a creaking U.S. Steel Building. CNN's Daniel Dale noted inconsistencies: in 2016, Trump said the incident occurred 'a couple of days' after 9/11 near One Liberty Plaza, not on the day itself or inside the building. Trump dismissed the criticism, asserting 'Everything I said was exactly accurate.' The article, published by The New Republic, characterizes Trump's claims as half-truths and part of a pattern of tall tales, citing his ongoing cognitive decline and massive ego as factors.
Read sourceTrump Tells Bizarre Lie About His Whereabouts on 9/11 at First Responder Event
At a Tunnel to Towers Foundation event honoring first responders ahead of the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, President Donald Trump claimed that firefighters carried him away from Ground Zero due to concerns that the nearby U.S. Steel Building (One Liberty Plaza) might collapse. Trump stated that two firefighters grabbed him under the arms and lifted him, saying 'Gotta get out of here.' CNN fact-checker Daniel Dale quickly rebutted the claim, noting Trump was in Trump Tower, miles away, when the towers were hit. PolitiFact also found no evidence supporting Trump's story. The New York Times previously investigated similar embellishments by Trump about his post-9/11 actions, including claims of spending extensive time at Ground Zero, which were contradicted by a retired FDNY deputy chief who said he never saw Trump there. Trump has told versions of this story since the 2016 campaign.