Trump says 'I was down there also' while signing 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund extension

(Image credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images)

published 29 July 2019

President Trump on Monday signed a bill extending the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund into law, telling first responders in attendance that he was "down there" with them at the time.

Trump spoke from the White House during a signing ceremony for the bill that recently passed the Senate, interjecting while describing how the law will benefit first responders with this aside.

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Politifact notes that "it is accurate that Trump was at least near Ground Zero two days following the Sept. 11 attacks." In 2001, he claimed he had "a lot of men" who would be "helping to reconstruct" at Ground Zero, and during the 2016 election, he claimed that he was "there" and he "helped a little bit" to clear the rubble. Snopes and Politifact both investigated the claim that Trump had men assisting in the recovery and couldn't determine its accuracy, although Snopes quoted a retired New York City Fire Department deputy chief as saying, "This is the first I'm hearing of it. There would have been no need for that." CNN wrote on Monday that this claim is one "that 9/11 responders have called dubious." Brendan Morrow

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Brendan worked as a culture writer at The Week from 2018 to 2023, covering the entertainment industry, including film reviews, television recaps, awards season, the box office, major movie franchises and Hollywood gossip. He has written about film and television for outlets including Bloody Disgusting, Showbiz Cheat Sheet, Heavy and The Celebrity Cafe.

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