<p class="wp-block-paragraph">President Donald Trump stated on Tuesday that his account of visiting ground zero with construction workers after the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks was "exactly accurate," responding to multiple fact checks that questioned his recollection.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">Trump made his defense in a lengthy post on Truth Social, shortly after recounting the story during a Tunnel to Towers Foundation ceremony at the White House Ellipse, which marked the 25th anniversary of the attacks.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">"The Failing New York Magazine wrote a story that I wasn’t down at the World Trade Center after the Tragedy of September 11th, because nobody saw me there," Trump said. "Well, I don’t think I would be the first thing on anyone’s mind but, I was there, obviously not on the same day as the collapse, but shortly thereafter, with a large group of Construction Workers."</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">"I discussed it today during my Remarks on the Ellipse, in Washington, D.C., for Tunnel to Towers," he continued. "Everything I said was exactly accurate and, to prove the point, I am attaching clips of me there with my people, including my then Head of Security, Matthew Calamari, who has confirmed that very sad trip to Lower Manhattan, many times, to many different Journalists, but it’s a story that just won’t die."</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">In his post, Trump included interview clips in which he states he is going to meet with construction workers in New York City two days after the attacks. He described the area as a "disaster." During the ceremony, Trump claimed he took workers from one of his construction projects to Lower Manhattan "right after" the attacks. He also recounted an incident where two firefighters carried him away from the area due to concerns that One Liberty Plaza, then known as the U.S. Steel Building, could collapse. He has shared this story in previous speaking engagements.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">A New York magazine article published after Trump’s remarks on Tuesday claimed to debunk the president’s account, citing a lack of corroboration regarding his involvement in cleanup efforts afterward.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">"We thought it was coming down on top of us," Trump said, describing the firefighters as "big strong guys" who grabbed him under his arms and began running with him.</p>
<p class="wp-block-paragraph">His account has faced scrutiny. Politifact reported that it could not verify that Trump directly participated in cleanup efforts or frequently visited ground zero in the weeks following the attacks, although video footage from a German news station shows Trump near the area two days after the attacks.</p>