Trump's 9/11 Story Questioned Again as First Responder Says He Never Saw Him at Ground Zero

Donald Trump's account of his actions after the September 11 attacks is facing renewed scrutiny after the president offered another detailed recollection of his time near Ground Zero. Trump recently claimed that two firefighters lifted him off the ground and ran with him because tthey feared a nearby building was about to collapse.

The account has drawn fresh questions because a former FDNY deputy chief who spent months at the World Trade Center recovery site previously said he had never witnessed Trump there, despite Trump's repeated claims that he went to Ground Zero and helped workers.

The Difference Between Visiting Lower Manhattan and 'Working' Ground Zero

The controversy centres on the distinction 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 Krassenstein described his latest account as a 'blatant lie', while journalist Aaron Rupar wrote that 'Trump's 9/11 lies are getting more outlandish'. The criticism and questions directed at Trump's 9/11 account 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 had 'never witnessed' Trump at the site.

Alles also said he had no knowledge of Trump being at the site, while acknowledging it was theoretically possible that Trump could have visited without him knowing.

News reports from the time place Trump in Lower Manhattan in the days following the attacks, including on September 18, 2001, when he was photographed and interviewed about the attacks.

The dispute is not simply whether Trump ever visited the area, but whether he took part in the recovery work he has subsequently claimed.

Trump Says Firefighters Lifted Him During 9/11 Chaos

In his latest recollection, delivered at a September 8 Steel Across America event in Washington, Trump said he had taken his construction crew from his New York projects towards the disaster site shortly after the attacks. He described a nearby building as appearing unstable and said two firefighters then intervened.

Trump said the United States Steel Building was 'creaking' and that he and others thought it might collapse. He recalled two firefighters grabbing him under the arms, lifting him up and running with him because they feared the building was coming down.

A day earlier, when he appeared on Sunday Night in America with Trey Gowdy, Trump also said he saw the second plane crash into the Twin Towers.

He claimed he and his construction workers 'worked long and hard' on a New York construction project shortly after the attacks. He said he went to the area 'the following day' because people could not go there on the day of the attacks.

Trump has made similar claims about his role in the aftermath over several years. In 2016, he said he had helped clear rubble and described workers searching for survivors, while in 2019 he said he had spent considerable time at Ground Zero alongside firefighters, police officers and other first responders.

Those claims have not been independently corroborated, and Alles previously said he had no knowledge of Trump or his employees being part of the recovery effort. Alles said there would have been records of workers involved in the operation because they worked under the supervision of the police and fire departments.

Trump Will Mark 25th 9/11 Anniversary at Pentagon

Trump is also set to mark the 25th anniversary of the attacks at the Pentagon rather than Ground Zero in New York City. Asked why he would not attend the New York ceremony, Trump replied, 'Because I'm going to the Pentagon.'

Vice President JD Vance is expected to attend the Ground Zero commemoration instead. The White House has disputed reports that Trump's decision was linked to organisers refusing to allow him to speak during the Ground Zero programme.

Trump last attended the New York ceremony in 2024, when he appeared alongside Vance, then-President Joe Biden, then-Vice President Kamala Harris and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. None of the officials delivered formal remarks.