Donald Trump Has a Sordid History of Lying and Embarrassing Himself on Sept. 11
Today marks 17 years since the horrific tragedy that occurred in New York City on Sept. 11, 2001, when two commercial planes, hijacked by terrorists, were flown into both towers of the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. And while it would be amazing if Donald Trump — the most callous, insensitive and willfully ignorant president our country has seen in modern times — could simply allow today to be a time for solemn remembrance, that would also require a miracle. Today’s Donald Trump 9/11 tweets have been more of the same politicized rhetoric we’re used to.
Donald Trump in fact has a history of embarrassing himself on Sept. 11, often by spouting lies.
In 2015, while campaigning for President, Trump famously remarked that thousands of Muslims in New Jersey celebrated the 9/11 attack. “I watched when the World Trade Center came tumbling down. And I watched in Jersey City … where thousands and thousands of people were cheering as that building was coming down,” he said at a campaign rally. “Thousands of people were cheering.”
The next day he doubled-down on that utter falsity, telling ABC’s This Week, “They were cheering as the World Trade Center came down.” Not only were Trump’s remarks never substantiated, but like many things to leave his mouth, they’ve been debunked.
And who can forget the famously tasteless Donald Trump 9/11 remarks from the very day of the terrorist attack? As a New York TV news station aired footage of the attack’s aftermath, Trump called in and took the opportunity to brag about the building he owned at 40 Wall Street.
“40 Wall Street actually was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan, and it was actually, before the World Trade Center, was the tallest — and then, when they built the World Trade Center, it became known as the second-tallest,” he said. “And now it’s the tallest.” (For what it’s worth, that statement is also untrue.)
Trump interview on 9/11: "[My building] was the 2nd-tallest in Manhattan… And now it’s the tallest." #NeverForget pic.twitter.com/47WUsSKLRu
— Ess (@ScottyLiterati) September 11, 2016
Yep, this man is now the president.
In December 2011, just over three months after the attack, Donald Trump claimed he had predicted the 9/11 attacks in his book The America We Deserve, along with “the collapse of Iraq.”
The Donald Trump 9/11 tweet of the year 2013 was the following:
“@realDonaldTrump: I would like to extend my best wishes to all, even the haters and losers, on this special date, September 11th.”
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 12, 2013
Which brings us to today. What were the Donald Trump 9/11 remarks of 2018, now that this dotard is the President of the United States? Exactly what you’d expect.
Trump started off his morning by tweeting his typical “no collusion” message along with multiple supportive statements about Fox News. He also praised Rudy Giuliani — now working as the president’s own counsel — for his work as Mayor of New York City at the time of the 9/11 attacks.
And before heading to a ceremony in Pennsylvania today, held at the site of the United 93 crash, Trump signed a proclamation declaring today “Patriot Day 2018,” honoring the lives lost on Sept. 11, 2001 and “every hero who has given their life since.”
#NeverForget #September11th https://t.co/ExGrrVtrEf
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) September 11, 2018
But one presidential proclamation does not undo 17 years of disgustingly tactless and bold-faced lies from Donald Trump. The American people — and those who lost their lives in one of the country’s greatest tragedies — have always deserved better than this man.