Twenty-five years after the attacks that changed America forever, an interview Donald Trump gave in the immediate aftermath of 9/11 is making the rounds again.
And while the devastation was still unfolding, one particular remark from the future president has left people stunned — with some even describing it as “evil.”
On September 11, 2001, the United States was thrown into chaos when al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes, killing 2,977 people in the deadliest terrorist attack in modern American history.
Two of the planes were flown into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City. Another struck the Pentagon in Virginia, while the fourth crashed in a Pennsylvania field after passengers fought back against the hijackers.
Now, as America prepares to mark 25 years since that horrifying day, comments Trump made just hours after the attacks have resurfaced.
And one part of the interview, in particular, has sparked outrage online.
What did Trump say in the hours after 9/11?
Trump was in New York City when the attacks happened and appeared on WWOR/UPN 9 News shortly afterward.
During the interview, the then-businessman described witnessing a “huge explosion” after one of the planes struck the World Trade Center.
When asked whether security had been increased at Trump Tower, he replied:
“We’ve always had very strong security but there’s very little you can do about planes crashing into a building.”
But the conversation then shifted to one of Trump’s own buildings: 40 Wall Street.
Trump pointed out that the 71-story skyscraper was located only blocks away from Ground Zero and began discussing its height.
He said it “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. And now it’s the tallest.”
However, that claim was not accurate. As Forbes previously reported, 70 Pine Street, located nearby, was actually 25 feet taller than 40 Wall Street.
The interview has now resurfaced online and on X, and many people have expressed disbelief that Trump was talking about the height of his building while the scale of the tragedy was still becoming clear.
One person described his response as “evil.”
Another wrote: “This interview is astonishing to hear.”
A third commented: “Even at that point he had to point out that his building was then the tallest building in NY…”
Trump will not attend New York’s 25th anniversary ceremony
The resurfaced interview comes as New York and the rest of the country prepare to commemorate the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Trump, who is now serving as president, is not expected to attend the anniversary ceremony in New York City. According to The New York Times, Trump pulled out after his administration was informed of an existing policy preventing political figures from addressing the crowd.
The White House has not directly addressed those reports but released a statement about Trump’s plans for the anniversary.
“As a proud New Yorker, President Trump has spoken about his own experiences watching the horrific events of September 11, 2001.
“On the 25th anniversary of this tragic day, the President will remember those who were killed at the hands of evil terrorists, honor their loved ones, and pay tribute to the brave first responders who put their lives on the line to rescue their fellow Americans.”
Criticized the proposed design
Trump was in the vicinity of Ground Zero shortly after the attacks, but there is no independent confirmation that he personally helped remove rubble from the site, according to Politifact.
”Everyone who helped clear the rubble — and I was there, and I watched, and I helped a little bit — but I want to tell you: Those people were amazing,” Trump said at a campaign rally in Buffalo, New York.
”Clearing the rubble. Trying to find additional lives. You didn’t know what was going to come down on all of us — and they handled it.”
However, Richard Alles, a retired New York Fire Department deputy chief who spent months at the scene, said he “was there for several months” and had “no knowledge of (Trump) being down there.”
In a 2015 appearance on Fox News Sunday” Trump said he did not hold former President George W. Bush responsible for the 9/11 attacks, but argued there was “a good chance” the perpetrators would not have been in the country had he been president.
During the 2016 presidential campaign, however, Trump appeared to suggest that Bush bore at least some responsibility for what happened.
“When you talk about George Bush, I mean, say what you want, the World Trade Center came down during his time,” Trump said in an interview on Bloomberg TV in 2015.
In the years after the 9/11 attacks, Trump also weighed in on plans to rebuild the World Trade Center site.
In 2005, he criticized the proposed design for the new “Freedom Tower,” arguing that the planned 1,776-foot skyscraper did not properly replace the Twin Towers. Trump called the design “skeletal” and objected to its “wrong angles,” saying he believed the site should be rebuilt in a stronger form.
“If we rebuild the World Trade Center in the form of a skeleton, Freedom Tower, the terrorists win,” Trump said in May 2005. “We want to rebuild the World Trade Center as the World Trade Center but better — a little bit taller, a lot stronger, just plain better.”
The building was eventually redesigned and became One World Trade Center, which now stands as the centerpiece of the rebuilt World Trade Center complex.