While speaking to a group of 9/11 first responders and their families on July 29, President Donald Trump suggested without evidence that he was at ground zero in New York City with first responders following the attacks, saying that he “spent a lot of time down there with you.”
In reality, Trump has repeatedly lied about his involvement in the response to the 9/11 attacks while also shamelessly trying to push his own brand.
Trump gave an interview the afternoon after the attacks bragging that his building was now the “tallest” in lower Manhattan.
Trump collected $150,000 in state funds intended to help small businesses following the attacks, even though his business was not effected.
Since then, Trump has lied about his involvement repeatedly, suggesting that he “helped clear the rubble.”
Trump claims he helped clear rubble and search for survivors on 9/11: pic.twitter.com/G3yodnBMK2
— Angelo Carusone (@GoAngelo) April 19, 2016
Trump also lied that he watched “thousands” of Muslim Americans celebrate the attack.
17 Years of Donald Trump's Weird Lies About 9/11 pic.twitter.com/5TMIt0QlyR
— The Daily Show (@TheDailyShow) September 11, 2018
Still, Fox & Friends co-host Brian Kilmeade responded incredulously to criticism that Trump was lying while talking to 9/11 first responders, insisting that Trump “was downtown a lot” following the attacks.
From the July 30 edition of Fox News' Fox & Friends:
BRIAN KILMEADE (CO-HOST): Just like when people [are] saying he wasn't there at 9/11, he was downtown a lot after the 9/11 attacks.