Cruz Defends Trump's 9/11 Account
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) ignited a firestorm Tuesday night when he defended President Donald Trump's disputed claim that firefighters carried him from Ground Zero after the September 11, 2001, attacks. Appearing on CNN with anchor Kaitlan Collins, Cruz said Trump's recollections stem from a "genuinely traumatic" day and urged critics to give the president the benefit of the doubt.
The controversy began earlier Tuesday when Trump, speaking at a White House ceremony honoring emergency responders, described being at the site the day after the attacks. According to Trump, a nearby skyscraper began to creak, and two firefighters grabbed him under the arms, saying, "Got to get out of here," before lifting him up. PolitiFact, however, could find no evidence placing Trump at Ground Zero on September 12, 2001. The earliest known photograph or video of Trump near the site is dated September 13, 2001. Richard Alles, a former New York Fire Department battalion chief, told PolitiFact in 2019 that he knew of no one who had ever witnessed Trump at the site.
Collins pressed Cruz on the appropriateness of Trump's remarks. "He's kind of making it sound like he was pulled out of the rubble with the firefighters," she said. "Do you think that's appropriate?" Cruz replied, "9/11 was 25 years ago. It was a horrific moment for our entire country... the man is a New Yorker. He loves New York, and I have every doubt that what he's conveying there is what he experienced." When Collins followed up, asking whether anyone should exaggerate what happened on 9/11, Cruz said, "Look, I think when you're sharing your feelings, your sentiments..." before pivoting to his own memories of the day.
Fact-Checkers and Critics Push Back
The exchange quickly drew ridicule from across the political spectrum. According to Raw Story, critics labeled Cruz a "coward" for his defense of Trump, with some accusing him of abandoning principle to appease the president's base. The Mirror noted that Cruz's argument—that Trump believes what he is saying even if it isn't true—may have made things worse by suggesting the president is confused. The outlet also pointed out that Trump has repeatedly claimed he sent hundreds of his own workers to assist at Ground Zero, a claim for which no evidence exists.
Meanwhile, the Irish Star reported that online commentators were quick to remind Cruz of his own contentious 9/11 anniversary incident. In 2021, Cruz was allegedly caught "liking" an explicit video on X (then Twitter) on September 11. Cruz blamed a staffer, saying someone "inadvertently hit the like button." Streamer Hasan Piker resurfaced the incident on Wednesday, posting, "Ted Cruz once famously was caught watching porn on this website on 9/11, so I'm not surprised this is his defense for Trump." Others mocked Cruz's defense as suggesting Trump has dementia, with one user writing, "Our politicians grow more moronic by the day."
A Broader Media Firestorm
The controversy extended beyond Cruz's remarks. On Wednesday, former CNN anchor Jim Acosta questioned why Cruz was allowed to appear on The View while Texas Senate candidate James Talarico's interview on Jimmy Kimmel Live was moved to YouTube due to FCC equal-time rules. Acosta called the FCC a "threat to free speech," but critics noted the rules predate Trump and accused Acosta of making a false equivalence. Twitchy reported that Acosta's comparison was widely mocked, with one respondent asking whether it was appropriate for a major network to "push consistent propaganda for one side of the political aisle."
The episode underscores the enduring political potency of 9/11, even 25 years later. For Trump, whose account of that day has shifted over the years, the latest remarks revived long-standing questions about his truthfulness. For Cruz, who faces a potentially competitive primary in 2026, defending Trump may be a calculated move to shore up support among Texas Republicans. But it also risks alienating moderate voters and further eroding his credibility, as critics on both sides seized on the apparent contradiction between his defense of Trump and his own past 9/11 misstep.
What This Means Going Forward
With the 2026 midterms approaching, the incident highlights the ongoing tension within the GOP between loyalty to Trump and adherence to factual accuracy. Cruz, who once called Trump a "sniveling coward" during the 2016 primary, has since become one of the president's most vocal defenders. His latest remarks suggest that strategy remains unchanged, even when it requires defending demonstrably false claims about a national tragedy.
As fact-checkers continue to scrutinize Trump's 9/11 statements, the controversy is unlikely to fade quickly. For Cruz, the episode serves as a reminder that in the Trump era, defending the president often means absorbing the blowback. Whether that proves costly at the ballot box remains to be seen.
Comments