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Trump Opens 9/11 Commemorations at Ellipse and Repeats Disputed Ground Zero Account

Fact-checkers contested his claim of being carried from a collapse‑risk site on 9/11, a dispute that has sharpened attention on how presidents should take part in solemn memorials.

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The U.S. flag is displayed during the Tunnel to Towers Foundation event for the 25th Anniversary of 9/11, on the Ellipse near the White House in Washington, Tuesday, Sept. 8, 2026. (AP Photo/Mark Schiefelbein)
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Overview

  • On Tuesday, Sept. 8, the White House hosted a Tunnel to Towers ceremony on the Ellipse that featured a 21‑foot steel beam from the South Tower and about 150 first responders in attendance.
  • President Trump posthumously awarded the Presidential Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, and the administration announced a U.S. Coast Guard fast‑response cutter will be named for firefighter Jeffrey Palazzo.
  • During his remarks the president said two firefighters lifted and carried him from an area feared at risk of collapse on 9/11, a personal anecdote that fact‑checkers and contemporaneous records have disputed.
  • Fact‑checking outlets cited the earliest verified photos and video showing Trump near Ground Zero on Sept. 13, 2001, and said they could not confirm his broader claims about directing large cleanup crews or repeatedly aiding recovery.
  • The exchange has already prompted public pushback and a White House defense from Trump, who will attend a Pentagon remembrance on Sept. 11 while the vice president represents the administration at the Ground Zero ceremony.