U.S. President Donald Trump gestures, while standing behind protective glass, during the Steel Across America event featuring near the White House in Washington, D.C., U.S., September 8, 2026. REUTERS/Nathan Howard
President Donald Trump invented a new story claiming that he was at the World Trade Towers on Sept. 11, 2001, and was lifted from by two firefighters and saved as the buildings fell. It was such a significant lie that MS NOW host Peter Alexander cut into the speech to provide a fact-check.
"It was raw. Nobody's seen anything like it ever," Trump said, in a speech on Sept. 8 at the White House. "We had other buildings, the United States Steel Building was creaking. Really creaking. And we thought it was going to fall down. The truth is, it creaked a lot. It creaked. It still creaks. But it never came down. And I'll never forget two firemen. We thought it was coming down on top of us and two firemen, big strong guys. And I'm not the smallest guy in the world. They grabbed me under the arms. They — gotta get out of here and they literally lifted me up. This is not easy to do. I'm big. They lifted me up and they started running with me. I said fellows, I can run myself, but they were amazing, but they thought it was coming down. It didn't come down. U.S. steel."
Trump has also recently said that he sent his workers down to the site of the towers in the days after to help in recovery efforts. It prompted questions about who the workers are and whether they suffered from the adverse effects of poisonous air in downtown Manhattan.
"We should note as apoint of clarification and tofact-check the president, whohas famously embellished hisrelationship to 9/11,did share a story about whichthere remains no evidence, hesaid in his remarks earlierhere," said Alexander. "He told the story aboutbeing helped up as he wasvisiting the United States Steel Building there in thearea surrounding Ground Zero inthe days following 9/11. Saying it was creaking and thattwo large firemen, that despitehis protests, picked him up tohelp him get out of there."
Alexander made it clear that thebuilding never collapsed.
"There's no evidence that that situation ever took place, but this does mark a solemn and sobering week for so many Americans, honoring the lives lost," said Alexander.
Politifact, USA Today and Newsweek have all reported that Trump was not at "Ground Zero" on Sept. 11. Trump has also claimed that he was at Ground Zero in the days following Sept. 11, 2001, to help "clear rubble" and help with recovery efforts. Trump called into local news station WWOR-TV on Sept. 11, saying that his building was now the tallest in New York City. He said at the time he was calling from his office. He made it clear at the time he was seeing the damage from his building in midtown Manhattan.
Trump confirmed to Fox's Trey Gowdy that he was not at Ground Zero on Sept. 11.