Donald Trump’s account of his actions since the 9/11 attacks is coming under new scrutiny after the president provided yet another detailed recollection of his time at Ground Zero. Trump recently said two firefighters lifted him off the ground and ran with him because they were afraid a nearby building was about to collapse.
The report raised new questions as a former FDNY deputy chief who spent several months at the World Trade Center rebuilding site previously said he never saw Trump there, despite Trump’s repeated claims that he went to Ground Zero and helped workers.
The difference between visiting Lower Manhattan and the “working” epicenter
The controversy centers on the difference between Trump’s documented presence in Lower Manhattan after the attacks and his claims that he took part in the Ground Zero recovery operation.
Political commentator Brian Krasenstein called his latest story “a blatant lie,” and journalist Aaron Rupar wrote that “Trump’s lies about 9/11 are becoming increasingly outlandish.” The criticism and questions leveled at Trump over 9/11 are not new.
Former FDNY Deputy Chief Richard Alles, who reached Ground Zero about 20 minutes after the second tower collapsed and remained there for months, said he “never saw” Trump at the site.
Alles also said he was unaware of Trump’s presence at the site, but acknowledged that Trump could theoretically visit the site without his knowledge.
News from the time showed Trump in Lower Manhattan in the days following the attacks, including on Sept. 18, 2001, when he was photographed and interviewed about the attacks.
The dispute is not only whether Trump ever visited the area, but also whether he took part in the restoration efforts he subsequently announced.
THIS IS A BLACK LIE:
There is no credible evidence that Donald Trump fled the World Trade Center on 9/11.
The most confirmed version is that Trump was in midtown Manhattan, apparently in or near Trump Tower, about four miles north of the World Trade Center. On…
— Brian Krassenstein (@krassenstein) September 8, 2026
🤔 Trump’s lies about 9/11 are getting more and more outlandish 🤔
Trump has made a number of bombshells about his response to 9/11 in recent days, including today, claiming that he was actually pulled from the rubble while his staff was at Ground Zero helping
“Two firefighters, big strong guys… pic.twitter.com/9O4yzP3VSy
— Aaron Rupar (@atrupar) September 8, 2026
How vile do you have to be to lie about getting help during the 9/11 attacks? There is disgusting, fucking disgusting, and then there is Donald Trump-level disgusting. When he finally meets his long, long overdue demise, there will be a global celebration on a scale never seen before in history. https://t.co/3BsaT0oXGG
— 😱 Scary Larry 😱 🇺🇦✊🏻🇺🇸🗽 (@aintscarylarry) September 8, 2026
Trump said firefighters raised it during 9/11 chaos
In his final remembrance on Sept. 8 at the Steel Across America event in Washington, Trump said he sent a construction crew from his New York projects to the disaster site shortly after the attacks. He described the adjacent building as unstable and said two firefighters then intervened.
Trump said the steel edifice of the United States was “creaking” and that he and others thought it might collapse. He recalled how two firefighters grabbed him by the arms, lifted him up and ran with him because they were afraid the building would collapse.
A day earlier, when he appeared on Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy, Trump also said he saw a second plane hit the Twin Towers.
He said that shortly after the attacks, he and his construction workers “worked long and hard” on a construction project in New York. He said he went to the area “the next day” because people could not come there on the day of the attacks.
Trump has made similar claims about his role in subsequent events for several years. In 2016, he said he helped clear rubble and described workers searching for survivors, and in 2019, he said he spent significant time at Ground Zero with firefighters, police officers and other first responders.
Those claims have not been independently verified, and Alles has previously said he is not aware of Trump or his staff being involved in economic recovery efforts. Alles said there would have been records of the workers involved in the operation as they worked under the supervision of police and firefighters.
Trump will mark the 25th anniversary of 9/11 at the Pentagon
Trump is also set to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks at the Pentagon rather than at Ground Zero in New York. When asked why he would not go to the ceremony in New York, Trump replied: “Because I’m going to the Pentagon.”
Vice President J.D. Vance is expected to attend the Ground Zero celebration instead. The White House disputed reports that Trump’s decision was related to organizers’ refusal to allow him to speak during the Ground Zero program.
Trump last attended a ceremony in New York in 2024, when he appeared alongside Vance, then-President Joe Biden, then-Vice President Kamala Harris and former New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg. None of the officials made official comments.