Trump lashes out after being accused of touting ‘fake’ 9/11 rescue story
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Donald Trump has issued a lengthy rebuttal on Truth Social after critics, including California Governor Gavin Newsom and broadcaster Rachel Maddow, branded his account of visiting Ground Zero after 9/11 "fake." In a nearly 500-word post, Trump insisted "everything I saw was exactly accurate," accused New York Magazine of a "weird lie" claim, and said his former head of security, Matthew Calamari, had repeatedly vouched for the story to journalists. The row centres on his claim that two firemen pulled him from a creaking, unstable building near Ground Zero, an account distinct from his long-standing claim of bringing around 100 construction workers to the site.
Trump also used the post to address his 9/11 anniversary plans, denying a New York Times report suggesting his decision to speak at the Pentagon on Friday, rather than the Manhattan memorial, followed being denied a speaking slot in New York. He noted that politicians never speak at the New York ceremony, which he says he has attended "numerous times," and said he would not want to break that tradition even if permitted. Vice President JD Vance is due to attend the New York event in his place.
- Trump defended his 9/11 Ground Zero rescue story as accurate on Truth Social
- He cited ex-security chief Matthew Calamari as backing the account
- Trump denies NY Times claim he was barred from speaking in New York
- Trump to speak at the Pentagon Friday; Vance attends the New York ceremony
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Trump has responded to criticism of a story he has told before about visiting Ground Zero after the 11 September 2001 attacks, in which he said two firemen pulled him from a shaky, damaged building near the site. Critics, including Gavin Newsom and Rachel Maddow, have called this version of events untrue, noting it differs from Trump's more familiar claim of bringing around 100 construction workers to help at the scene.
The dispute matters because it touches on how political figures describe their personal connection to 9/11, a deeply significant event in American history, and on questions of honesty in public statements. It has become entangled with a separate row over Trump's plans for this year's 9/11 anniversary: he is due to speak at the Pentagon rather than the main memorial event in Manhattan, a decision he says is unrelated to any dispute over speaking there, while Vice President JD Vance attends in New York instead.
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