US President Donald Trump’s latest account of his activities in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001, attacks has come under renewed scrutiny, with questions raised over some of the details he provided.
Speaking at a 9/11 foundation event in Washington on Tuesday, Trump recalled being near Ground Zero shortly after the attacks and described an incident in which he said two firefighters helped him escape after a nearby building began creaking.
Trump said he believed the building was at risk of collapsing and recalled two firefighters grabbing him by the arms and lifting him away from the area. He had previously given a similar account during the 2016 presidential campaign, although he stressed that he had not been inside the building.
The remarks are among several claims Trump has made over the years about his experiences and involvement in New York following the attacks.
During the 2015-16 presidential campaign, Trump faced criticism after claiming that “thousands and thousands” of people had cheered the attacks from an unspecified location in New Jersey. He also claimed to have lost hundreds of friends in the attacks, which killed nearly 3,000 people.
Trump has also previously said he sent hundreds of workers and construction equipment to Ground Zero to assist with recovery efforts.
Records show that Trump was in the vicinity of Ground Zero shortly after the attacks. On September 13, 2001, he told German broadcaster Deutsche Welle that more than 100 workers were being sent to the area. A report published by Newsday the following day also documented his presence near the site.
Trump later told the newspaper that he had sent 225 workers and excavating equipment to Ground Zero. However, there is limited evidence of him publicly making similar claims between 2002 and 2015.
His account of his involvement resurfaced during the 2016 presidential campaign. In 2019, Trump also told first responders at a White House event that he had spent considerable time at Ground Zero after the attacks.
Some former officials involved in the recovery operation have disputed the extent of Trump’s involvement. Richard Alles, who held a supervisory position at Ground Zero, told The New York Times that he did not recall seeing Trump during his months at the site.
Trump defended his latest remarks in a Truth Social post, saying he had been at Ground Zero shortly after the attacks but not on the day of the building collapses. He said he had gone there with a large group of construction workers.
The controversy comes as the United States prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. Trump is scheduled to speak at a commemorative event at the Pentagon, another site targeted in the 2001 attacks, on Friday.
