Trump’s 9/11 Claims Fact-Checked: What Records Reveal About His Whereabouts
Fact-check examines Trump’s claims about his whereabouts on 9/11.
US President Donald Trump has made several claims over the years about where he was and what he did in the aftermath of the September 11, 2001 attacks. Ahead of the 25th anniversary of 9/11, Trump again recounted an incident in which he claimed firefighters carried him away because of fears that a nearby building was about to collapse. However, available public evidence does not establish that he was inside the building at the time.
Speaking at a White House event for 9/11 first responders on Tuesday, Trump said he had been with a crew of workers at Ground Zero when he noticed the “United States Steel building” creaking. The building he referred to is now known as One Liberty Plaza, located near the World Trade Center site. Trump claimed that two firefighters grabbed him under the arms and carried him away as they feared the structure could collapse.
Trump described the alleged incident in detail, saying the firefighters lifted him and ran with him because of his size. However, records and news reports indicate that Trump was at his tower in Midtown Manhattan when the attacks occurred, several miles from the World Trade Center. He has given differing accounts over the years about when he visited Ground Zero, including claims that he went there shortly after the attacks and at other times that he visited several days later.
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There is no public evidence establishing that Trump was inside One Liberty Plaza during the period in question or that firefighters carried him away from the building because of an imminent collapse. Trump has also previously made claims suggesting that his workers participated in clearing rubble or assisting at Ground Zero, but he has not provided evidence substantiating those accounts. His latest remarks similarly did not establish that he personally took part in rescue or recovery operations at the site.
Contemporary news coverage did report Trump appearing near the World Trade Center site in the days following the attacks, including accounts of him interacting with police officers and volunteers. However, those reports do not substantiate his account of being carried away by firefighters because of an unstable One Liberty Plaza. The distinction is significant because the building was not one of the Twin Towers that collapsed on September 11.
Trump’s account has therefore remained unverified, with no public documentation establishing that the incident occurred as he described it. One Liberty Plaza opened in October 2001 and continues to function as an office building. The available record confirms Trump was in Midtown Manhattan when the attacks occurred, while his later claims about his presence and activities at Ground Zero have not been fully supported by independent evidence.
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