Trump fabricates 9/11 rescue story, analyst says it’s a desperate hero myth
Donald Trump claimed firefighters rescued him from a collapsing steel building during the 9/11 attacks, a story political analyst David Rothkopf called a falsehood.
At a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks, Donald Trump recounted a dramatic rescue in which two firefighters allegedly pulled him from a trembling steel building that he said might collapse onto him. He offered no timeline for the incident, and records place him in Trump Tower on Fifth Avenue, roughly two-and-a-half miles from the World Trade Center and the referenced building. Political commentator David Rothkopf dismissed the story as unfounded, pointing out that Trump was publicly boasting about his 40 Wall Street property on the day the towers fell.
Rothkopf also referenced Trump’s repeated, debunked claims about being at Ground Zero and witnessing celebrations in New Jersey, describing a broader pattern of self-aggrandizing myths. He expressed both surprise and disgust that no prominent Republican figures have publicly refuted the lie. The White House did not respond to requests for comment. The remarks were discussed on The Daily Beast Podcast.
Why it matters
The false claim shows how a sitting president may manipulate history to bolster personal image, influencing public perception of a national tragedy.
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