As the nation prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, President Donald Trump is facing renewed scrutiny over his recollections of the tragedy after describing a dramatic encounter in which firefighters allegedly carried him to safety near Ground Zero. The comments sparked fresh questions about what Trump actually did in the days following the attacks and prompted a forceful response from the White House.
The debate reignited after Trump shared personal 9/11 memories during a White House memorial event Sept. 8, including an account of firefighters lifting him off the ground as they fled what they feared was a collapsing building.
Historical reports show Trump visited Lower Manhattan after the attacks, but a previous USA TODAY
fact check found no public evidence that he participated in rescue, recovery or cleanup efforts at Ground Zero. Trump has rejected the criticism, demanded media retractions and insisted he was at the World Trade Center site with construction workers and security personnel shortly after the attacks.
Trump pushes back against reporting
In a Truth Social post later on Sept. 8, Trump rejected reporting that questioned his account, saying he visited the World Trade Center site "shortly thereafter" with construction workers and security personnel.
He demanded retractions from media organizations that suggested otherwise and said former Trump Organization security chief Matthew Calamari has repeatedly confirmed the visit.
"I was there, obviously not on the same day as the collapse, but shortly thereafter, with a large group of Construction Workers," Trump wrote.
Trump recalls aftermath of attacks
During his remarks, Trump reflected on watching the attacks unfold from New York City and later traveling to Lower Manhattan.
"I looked out my window, and I saw things that I never want to see again," Trump said.
The president also recounted what he described as a frightening moment near the disaster zone, saying firefighters believed a nearby building was in danger of collapsing.
"They literally lifted me up," Trump said. "This is not easy to do. I'm big. They lifted me up and they started running with me."
Trump did not specify exactly where the incident occurred or when it took place.
White House defends Trump's remarks
After questions emerged about the president's comments, the White House said Trump was describing his experience in the immediate aftermath of the attacks and in the days that followed.
White House spokesperson Davis Ingle told USA TODAY on Sept. 9 that Trump had been honoring first responders and victims' families during the memorial event.
"The President was relaying his experience of a city reeling immediately after and in the days and weeks after the horrific attacks," Ingle said, calling criticism of Trump's remarks a politically motivated attack by the media.
What is known about Trump's whereabouts after 9/11?
Questions about Trump's whereabouts following the attacks are not new.
Historical reports show Trump was in New York City on Sept. 11 and later visited the World Trade Center site. The New York Times previously reported that a Newsday article placed Trump at Ground Zero on Sept. 13, 2001.
A German television interview also showed Trump several blocks from the site that same day discussing plans to send workers to Lower Manhattan. "Well, I have a lot of men down here right now," he said, and, "We have over 100 and we have about 125 coming. So we'll have a couple hundred people down here."
However, there is no evidence Trump participated in rescue, recovery or cleanup operations at Ground Zero. A previous USA TODAY fact check found no documentation supporting claims that he assisted response efforts.
Former emergency officials have also questioned those assertions. Richard Alles, a New York Fire Department battalion chief during 9/11, told PolitiFact in 2019 that he had no knowledge of Trump working at Ground Zero despite spending months overseeing operations there.
"There would be a record of it," Alles said.
Trump demands retractions
Trump used his Truth Social post to attack what he called "fake news" coverage and demand corrections from journalists and outlets that questioned his account.
He also rejected suggestions that his decision to attend a Pentagon ceremony instead of this year's Ground Zero observance was related to restrictions on political speeches at the New York event.
"Fake News is getting worse and worse in the U.S.A.," Trump wrote.
The renewed dispute comes as the nation prepares to mark the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks, a milestone that has revived public attention on the events of that day and the experiences of those who witnessed the aftermath.
Contributing: Matthew Brown, USA TODAY
Saman Shafiq is a trending news reporter for USA TODAY. Reach her at sshafiq@usatodayco.com and follow her on X and Instagram @saman_shafiq7.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Trump defends account of being at Ground Zero after 9/11
