Donald Trump accepted public praise for giving to 9/11 charities. He apparently never donated.


New York City discovered that Donald Trump apparently did not donate to the two primary 9/11 charities after the terrorist attacks, although he accepted a public thanks for the supposed donation of $10,000 in October 2001.
City Controller Scott Stringer reviewed the previously sealed records for The New York Daily News: "We did not find any record of a donation from Trump himself or a Trump entity to either the Twin Towers Fund or the New York City Public/Private Initiatives Inc.," his office said. On Friday, NBC 4 New York confirmed that documents had been reviewed and no trace of Trump's donations found.
Trump's foundation did donate $100,000 to the 9/11 Museum, but that was in April 2016, after he had declared his run for president.
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The City Controller's office clarified that it is "unable to conclude definitively" that Trump did not donate in 2001 or early 2002, only that there is no record of him doing so. Trump's campaign didn't respond to requests for comment from either the Daily News or NBC.
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Jeva Lange was the executive editor at TheWeek.com. She formerly served as The Week's deputy editor and culture critic. She is also a contributor to Screen Slate, and her writing has appeared in The New York Daily News, The Awl, Vice, and Gothamist, among other publications. Jeva lives in New York City. Follow her on Twitter.
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