'They Grabbed Me Under the Arm': Donald Trump's 9/11 Commemoration Address Draws Heavy Criticism

US President Donald Trump drew criticism online on Tuesday, 8 September, after using a 9/11 commemoration address in Washington to repeat an unverified story that two firefighters lifted him and began running with him near a building they feared might collapse.

The criticism centred on Trump's claim that the firefighters 'grabbed me under the arm' and began running with him, and it quickly became the focus of online scrutiny.

The account was challenged because it cited no corroborating evidence to show the incident occurred as described.

Donald Trump 9/11 Account Faces Renewed Scrutiny

Trump was speaking while commemorating the 25th anniversary of the September 11, 2001 attacks when he described the former US Steel Building as 'creaking' and said people nearby feared it could come down.

'And I'll never forget two firemen,' Trump said. He recalled the men telling him, 'Got to get out of here,' before, in his account, lifting him and starting to run. Trump added that he told them he could run on his own.

Trump has previously described a similar episode as occurring after the attacks, making it important not to frame the latest remarks as proof that he was at Ground Zero when the planes struck.

Journalist Aaron Rupar shared a clip of the remarks on X, where a Community Note disputed the impression that Trump had been at Ground Zero during the attacks. The note said he had been miles away and that his story about being lifted by firefighters lacked corroborating evidence.

That distinction matters because the criticism of Trump's address was not simply about whether he visited lower Manhattan after the attacks. It focused on whether the dramatic rescue account could be independently supported.

Donald Trump 9/11 Claims Have Been Questioned Before

Trump has told versions of the firefighter story previously. During his first presidential campaign, he recalled standing near two firefighters when a building appeared to be in danger and said the men grabbed him after a 'screech' prompted fears that the structure could fall.

Trump was documented near Ground Zero on 13 September 2001, two days after the attacks, when he gave interviews and said more than 100 workers connected with him were helping at the site.

However, fact-checkers have found no independent evidence confirming that he organised such a workforce or personally participated in the recovery effort.

Richard Alles, a retired FDNY official who worked at Ground Zero for months, has said he had no knowledge of Trump being at the site or bringing a crew of 100 or more workers.

Questions have also surrounded a separate pledge Trump made after the attacks. In 2001, Trump pledged $10,000 to the Twin Towers Fund.

A later review by the New York City Comptroller's Office found no record of a Trump or Trump-related donation during the audit periods covering nearly the first 12 months after the attacks.

Those earlier claims have become part of the context surrounding the latest speech, particularly because Trump returned to a personal account while addressing a commemoration devoted to those killed and the emergency workers who responded.

Donald Trump 9/11 Remarks Draw Online Backlash

Reaction online was swift after Rupar circulated the clip. Critics accused Trump of embellishing his role in the aftermath of the attacks and questioned why the unverified anecdote was included in an anniversary address.

Some social media posts went beyond disputing the facts and speculated about Trump's health.

The central factual issue remains narrower. Trump publicly described being physically carried away by two firefighters near a building thought to be at risk, while no publicly available witness account, contemporaneous record or other evidence has been identified that independently corroborates the episode.

The White House has defended Trump's remarks but did not provide additional records or other corroborating evidence when reporters sought details about the episode. Spokesman Davis Ingle said Trump was describing 'a city reeling immediately after and in the days and weeks after' the attacks. Trump later maintained on Truth Social that his account was accurate.