The 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center in New York and the Pentagon were the worse since Pearl Harbor. The incident killed over 3,000 people including first responders. US President Donald Trump on Monday signed a bipartisan bill dubbed the 9/11 Victims Compensation bill. The bill is designed to ensure that first responders in the attack and their families get financial aid for the suffering caused.
During the signing ceremony at the White House, Trump was full of praise for the responders. The president commended them for the heroism they showed in the face of great adversity. Trump also took a moment to note that he was actually there after the planes hit. The president said that even though he does not consider himself a first responder, he was actually “down there” too working to save lives and get affected people to safety.
The statement is true, but to a certain extent. According to Politifact, although it is true that Trump was around Ground Zero, it was actually two days after the 9/11 attacks. NBC News also reported that Trump was recorded giving interviews to local and international media two days after the attack. There is no evidence, however, that the president was at Ground Zero at any given point during the immediate aftermath of 9/11.
The comments at the White House caused a lot of confusion online. Trump already has a very shocking history talking about the September 11 attacks. As a matter of fact, the president has even made a few false claims about the incident in the past. At one point, Trump said that he had seen hundreds of people in New Jersey celebrating the attacks. The statement has already been proven as false. Trump also said during a campaign rally in Buffalo that he “helped a little bit” to clear up the rubble when the towers came down. There is no evidence to suggest that this is true.
But this is not even the most controversial statement made by Trump regarding the 9/11 attack. When the towers came down, Trump boasted during an interview that a skyscraper he owned was now the tallest building in the city. The president said at the time that “40 Wall Street was the second-tallest building in Manhattan. Trump added that his building had now become the tallest in New York when the World Trade Center collapsed to rubble.
The 9/11 attacks shook the United States and the whole world. Two passenger aircraft hijacked by terrorists crashed into the World Trade Center during morning hours on this fateful day. Another passenger jet also hit the Pentagon. A third plane that was headed towards Washington did not hit its target. Passengers were able to overpower the suspects and the plane crash landed. It was believed that the third plane was headed for the White House or the US Congress. Over 3,000 people were killed in the carnage.
