Trump recalls surviving the 9/11 tragedy, says firemen ‘lifted him up’ and started running with him

At a Tunnel to Towers Foundation event honoring 9/11 victims and first responders held Tuesday, President Donald Trump made some claims about the tragedy that people are having a tough time verifying. In claims he has never made before, Trump said he was at Ground Zero “right after” the attacks and described what happened from personal experience.

In a clip from the event shared on social media, Trump said he was accompanied by a crew at Ground Zero. He then said the United States Steel building was creaking so much that everyone thought it would come down.

He said two firemen had to reach out to save him from danger. Narrating the story of how the incident played out, Trump said, “Two firemen, big, strong guys, and I am not the smallest guy in the world. They grabbed me under the arms and said, ‘Got to get out of here,’ and they literally lifted me up.”

He continued, emphasizing that lifting him up was no easy task for the firemen. He said, “This is not easy to do. I’m big. They lifted me up, and they started running with me. I said, ‘Fellas, I can run myself,’ but they were amazing.” 

Trump later clarified his comments in a social media post

Trump faced immense criticism over his comments about the 9/11 attacks and his claim to have been at the site at the time. However, not all of it was negative. While some people called bluff on his claims, others believed Trump was telling the truth.

An X user, under a post of Trump’s clip, wrote, “He’s been lying about that for 25 years, repeated on right media/podcasts,” while attaching a screenshot of an AI query that said there was “no evidence that Donald Trump took his construction crew or went down to Ground Zero to help with recovery efforts on or immediately after 9/11, despite his repeated claims.” Another user, while showing his support for Trump, wrote, “Yep, Trump was there with his team from day 1. That’s what a great leader does.”

Irrespective of what people thought, Trump decided to follow up on his 9/11 claims and offered further clarification while also criticizing news outlets that, according to him, misreported on the issue. In a Truth Social post, taking a dig at New York Magazine, which was among the many that covered the news, he wrote, “The Failing New York Magazine wrote a story that I wasn’t down at the World Trade Center after the Tragedy of September 11th, because nobody saw me there.”

He continued, “Well, I don’t think I would be the first thing on anyone’s mind, but I was there, obviously not on the same day as the collapse, but shortly thereafter, with a large group of Construction Workers.” Trump stressed that whatever he said during the Tuesday event was “exactly accurate” and provided a video to prove his point. In it, Trump can be seen getting interviewed by reporters who question him about the ground reality at Ground Zero.

Trump also briefly speaks about his employees and expresses concern for their well-being. Additionally, he mentions anticipating about a hundred crew members at the site.

Just a few days ago, Trump faced criticism for his decision to skip the 9/11 memorial in New York. With this incident, he has once again been thrust into the limelight.

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]