Here’s what President Trump had to say.
President Donald Trump is opening up about his personal memories of September 11, 2001, recalling the moment he watched the terrorist attacks unfold in New York City and describing what he says he did in the aftermath.
The president shared the story during an interview with Fox News host Trey Gowdy as the nation approaches the 25th anniversary of the attacks that forever changed America.
For millions of Americans who remember exactly where they were that morning, Trump’s account brings renewed attention to the shock, uncertainty and fear that gripped the country.
Trump Recalls Watching the World Trade Center Attack
Trump told Gowdy that he was in Manhattan when he became aware that something had struck the World Trade Center.
At first, he said, he had difficulty believing that an airplane could have hit one of the towers.
Then came the second plane.
Trump recalled seeing the aircraft approaching the second tower and immediately realizing that what was happening was no accident.
“The world has just changed,” Trump remembered thinking.
It was a realization shared by millions of Americans as television networks carried the horrifying images across the country.
The attacks would ultimately kill nearly 3,000 people and trigger sweeping changes to American national security, foreign policy and everyday life.
Trump Describes What He Did After 9/11
Trump then offered a personal account of what happened in the immediate aftermath.
The president said he was involved with a construction project in New York at the time and had access to a large number of construction workers.
According to Trump, he went downtown very soon after the attacks, describing the trip as taking place around the following day.
“We worked long and hard,” Trump told Gowdy.
Trump has discussed his activities following September 11 numerous times over the past two decades.
During a 2016 campaign appearance in New York, for example, he spoke about being present while workers cleared debris and searched for survivors.
He praised the people who entered the devastated area despite enormous risks, including unstable structures and uncertainty about whether additional attacks could occur.
Trump has also previously said that a large group of workers associated with him went downtown to assist.
Trump’s Ground Zero Story Has Faced Questions
Not every detail of Trump’s account has been independently confirmed.
News organizations and fact-checkers examining his previous statements have reported evidence that Trump was in Lower Manhattan following the attacks. However, they have said they could not independently verify some of his more specific claims about personally clearing rubble or the number of workers he says were involved.
Trump himself spoke to reporters shortly after the attacks and said he had workers in the area.
That leaves an important distinction between what is documented and what remains based primarily on Trump’s own recollection.
There is evidence that Trump visited the area in the aftermath of September 11, but the precise nature and extent of any recovery work performed personally by Trump or workers associated with him remains disputed.
A Controversial Interview From 9/11
Another part of Trump’s September 11 history has resurfaced repeatedly over the years.
On the day of the attacks, Trump participated in a television interview in which he was asked about possible damage to 40 Wall Street, a prominent Manhattan property associated with him.
During his response, Trump discussed the building’s height and how its status had changed after the destruction of the World Trade Center.
Critics have repeatedly pointed to the remark, arguing that discussing the status of his property while New York was experiencing an unprecedented tragedy was inappropriate.
The comment has consequently remained part of the political debate surrounding Trump’s recollections of that day.
25 Years Later, America Still Remembers
The larger story extends far beyond any politician.
September 11 remains one of the defining moments in modern American history.
Nearly 3,000 people were killed in the attacks. Firefighters, police officers, paramedics and other emergency personnel rushed toward danger as thousands of people attempted to escape.
Construction workers and volunteers later joined the massive recovery operation.
The consequences did not end when the debris was cleared. Thousands of responders and survivors have subsequently dealt with illnesses associated with exposure to toxic material at and around the World Trade Center site.
For Americans who lived through September 11, the memories remain powerful even a quarter-century later.
Many can still remember where they were when they first heard the news, the television images of smoke pouring from the towers and the extraordinary acts of courage that followed.
Trump’s Memory Highlights a Day That Changed America
Trump’s latest comments offer his personal recollection of experiencing that historic morning from New York City.
His account of watching the second plane approach the World Trade Center captures the moment when Americans realized the country was facing a deliberate attack.
His description of his activities afterward continues to attract scrutiny because portions of the story have not been independently verified.
But as America marks 25 years since September 11, the enduring focus remains on the victims, their families and the men and women who responded when the nation was attacked.
Political disagreements have changed dramatically over the past quarter-century.
The importance of remembering September 11 has not.
For millions of Americans, it remains a day of profound loss, remarkable courage and national unity — and a reminder of how quickly the course of history can change.