During a signing ceremony for the 9/11 victim compensation fund bill, Donald Trump — speaking to an audience filled with first responders — made reference his time “down there” at Ground Zero.
Speaking from the White House Rose Garden Monday morning, Trump discussed his time at the site of the attacks.
“I was down there also,” Trump said. “But I’m not considering myself a first responder. But I was down there. I spent a lot of time down there with you.”
This isn’t the first time Trump has hearkened back to his time at the site of the attacks. Previously, the president stated he “helped a little bit” at Ground Zero.
At a 2016 rally in Buffalo, NY, Trump said:
“Everyone who helped clear the rubble — and I was there, and I watched, and I helped a little bit — but I want to tell you: Those people were amazing. Clearing the rubble. Trying to find additional lives. You didn’t know what was going to come down on all of us — and they handled it.”
The president, according to the fact-checking website Snopes, did visit the site of the attacks on Sept. 13, 2001. In interviews with NBC and a German TV outlet, he made vague reference to paying roughly 125 people to help with the recovery.
This claim, however, has never been corroborated. And according to Snopes, John Feal — who has been one of the most visible advocates for 9/11 first responder funds — Ground Zero was on lockdown by Sept. 15, and a government-issued ID badge was required to access the site. Further, there is no evidence Trump himself helped with the clear the rubble.
Twitter was sickened:
Trump was not "down there" during 9/11 with first responders, and the only role he played was bragging on TV that he now had the biggest building in NY once the towers fell. Oh and lying about how American Muslims reacted to 9/11. https://t.co/5ZMyudJG4l [1]
— Joy Reid (@JoyAnnReid) July 29, 2019 [2]
Trump is talking about what he was doing on 9/11. What he was actually doing on 9/11 was boasting that his building was now the tallest in lower Manhattan (and that wasn’t even true). pic.twitter.com/XOQxAVAoL5 [3]
— Brian Klaas (@brianklaas) July 29, 2019 [4]
Here's Trump on the campaign trail talking about literally clearing rubble at ground zero after 9/11. h/t @GoAngelo [5] cc: @TheRickWilson [6] #MondayMotivation [7]
pic.twitter.com/SdHQSW1GJJ [8]
— Holly Figueroa O'Reilly (@AynRandPaulRyan) July 29, 2019 [9]
If Trump had been at #GroundZero [10] on 9/11 there would be photos like this, of then-Sen. @HillaryClinton [11] with victims and first responders (for whom she fought for over a decade) for him to share.
There are none.
Stolen valor. pic.twitter.com/ijJUK6oH1F [12]— Victoria Brownworth 🏳️🌈 (@VABVOX) July 29, 2019 [13]
Trump’s contributions to the 9/11 recovery:
– Bragged that it gave him the tallest building
– Falsely claimed Muslims celebrated on rooftops
– Claimed he was at Ground Zero helping people
– Didn’t invite Jon Stewart or Rep Carolyn Maloney to signing ceremony
Fucking traitor.
— Palmer Report (@PalmerReport) July 29, 2019 [14]
Here's a picture of Trump at the 9-11 Twin Towers site. Oh, wait… pic.twitter.com/yu726DTUfj [15]
— Peter Gleick (@PeterGleick) July 29, 2019 [16]
#BREAKING [17] 📢 📢 📢
Trump is claiming he was at the Twin Towers on 9/11 attempting to rescue people.
Trump Tower is over SIX MILES from #GroundZero [10].
Trump would have had to walk SIX MILES in soot and ash to get there.
And then walk SIX MILES back home.pic.twitter.com/wGmq4vpKAm [18]— Victoria Brownworth 🏳️🌈 (@VABVOX) July 29, 2019 [19]
Just for the record. Donald Trump hid in trump tower on 9/11, bragging about now having the tallest building….
She was there…….
He can fuck right off. pic.twitter.com/IYGQLU0tn1 [20]
— JerseyCraig #SuperGay (@Jersey_Craig) July 29, 2019 [21]