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It's been 18 years since terrorists hijacked four planes, crashing them into the World Trade Center in New York, the Pentagon in Washington, and a remote field in Pennsylvania. Three thousand people died that day, and even more died as a result of illnesses contracted as a result of the actions.
Since the early years of then-President George W. Bush's tenure in the White House, Americans have looked to the President for wisdom and leadership as each anniversary of the attacks passes.
President Donald Trump commemorated the occasion on Twitter by posting a picture of himself and First Lady Melania Trump at the memorial site for Flight 93—the only hijacked plane not to reach its target that day, thanks to an uprising from passengers.
The image Trump shared read "WE WILL NEVER FORGET."
https://t.co/WqBj8iMQhx— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1568197933.0
People noticed something...striking about Trump's 9/11 tribute:
On the anniversary of 3,000 lost lives, a photo of himself https://t.co/wxGoiXLDUJ— David Frum (@David Frum) 1568204300.0
@realDonaldTrump Why would you have to be on this pic ?? This is NOT about you.— GuillaumeTC (@GuillaumeTC) 1568199530.0
@realDonaldTrump A picture of you. On 9/11. And “we”. Nothing about the people who lost their lives, but of yoursel… https://t.co/RO6HjDy5Or— SpeakOut (@SpeakOut) 1568212264.0
To which George Conway remarked:
#NarcissisticPersonalityDisorder https://t.co/rcptqGFKyg— George Conway (@George Conway) 1568204384.0
Trump, of course, quickly did forget, switching gears to rage about an unfavorable poll.
In a hypothetical poll, done by one of the worst pollsters of them all, the Amazon Washington Post/ABC, which predi… https://t.co/4rzAjxXKWq— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1568203978.0
....This is a phony suppression poll, meant to build up their Democrat partners. I haven’t even started campaigning… https://t.co/wSiokMjuVd— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1568203978.0
If it weren’t for the never ending Fake News about me, and with all that I have done (more than any other President… https://t.co/2MiOiqnA0v— Donald J. Trump (@Donald J. Trump) 1568204385.0
It's not necessarily surprising behavior from the Commander in Chief, but on 9/11?
Former President Barack Obama's commemoration of the event struck an entirely different tone.
As we remember those we lost on 9/11, we also remember the spirit of unity and togetherness that defined the weeks… https://t.co/vVlN1ckjQg— Barack Obama (@Barack Obama) 1568204375.0
Obama highlighted a volunteer day of service on Ellis Island, which historically welcomed many of America's immigrants. He called for Americans to remember "the spirit of unity and togetherness" demonstrated in the weeks after the horrific attack.
People couldn't help but notice the stark difference between the two commemorations.
How two presidents are commemorating the 2,996 people who died on 9/11. https://t.co/PPwsfoyXH1— Eric Jotkoff (@Eric Jotkoff) 1568208948.0
@BarackObama President Obama wakes up this morning and talks love. Trump wakes up this morning and talks about himself.— kenodee (@kenodee) 1568211792.0
@BarackObama @realDonaldTrump - THIS is how you remember a solemn day. Learn. #BeBetter #neverforget— MargaretMG (@MargaretMG) 1568207144.0
@Eric_Jotkoff @rolandscahill One’s a former president and one’s an occupant of the WH.— Master Pete (@Master Pete) 1568210304.0
Trump has repeatedly claimed that he was one of the first people to arrive at Ground Zero. On the morning of the attacks, he infamously bragged that he had the tallest building in New York after the towers fell. During the 2016 campaign, he falsely claimed that thousands of the "heavy Arab population" in New Jersey applauded the attacks.
Most recently, Trump planned to host leaders of the Taliban—who harbored the architect of 9/11, Osama bin Laden—at Camp David in an effort to end the war in Afghanistan.
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