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The story of Welles Crowther, the “Man in the Red Bandana,” is one of the most well-known stories of heroism to emerge from the shadows of 9/11. That popularity, however, irks President Donald Trump.
Speaking at an event that was organized to honor 9/11 first responders, President Trump used some of his time at the microphone to complain about Welles Crowther, known as the “Man in the Red Bandana,” being more famous than him.
Crowther, who died in the attacks at the age of 24 years old, was an American equities trader and volunteer firefighter credited with saving the lives of as many as 18 people who were in the World Trade Center on 9/11. Following the attacks, stories emerged from survivors about being saved by a man in a red bandana, who turned out to be Crowther.
President Trump lamented that Welles Crowther is “more popular” than him during an event honoring 9/11 First Responders
“The Man in the Red Bandana. Have you heard of him? He’s become more famous than me. I don’t like it. Very unhappy. But he’s become much more famous than me,” Trump said to the crowd, which included members of Crowther’s family.
Trump on a deceased 9/11 rescuer:
“The Man in the Red Bandana. Have you heard of him? He’s become more famous than me. I don’t like it. Very unhappy. But he’s become much more famous than me.” pic.twitter.com/ZYl1D33HDR
— FactPost (@factpostnews) September 8, 2026
Trump also claimed that a pair of “big, strong” firemen rescued him directly from under the shadow of the World Trade Center, saying:
“And I’ll never forget two firemen. We thought it was coming down on top of us, and two firemen, big, strong guys — and I’m not the smallest guy in the world — they grabbed me under the arm, said, ‘Got to get out of here!’ And they literally lifted me up,” Trump said.
“This is not easy to do. I’m big. They lifted me up, and they started running with me. I said, ‘Fellas, I can run myself,’ but they were amazing. But they thought it was coming down. It didn’t come down,” he added.
All reporting, however, has indicated that Trump was at Trump Tower at 725 Fifth Avenue in Midtown Manhattan, which is about 116 blocks and 5.5 miles away from Ground Zero, and was giving phone interviews to local media stations.
He’s also not planning to attend the ceremony in Manhattan for the 25th anniversary of 9/11. While the President of the United States initially planned to attend the event, remembering one of the darkest days in the country’s history, he’s reportedly backed out because he wanted to deliver a speech, and the annual event has long barred remarks.