Senator Ted Cruz recently stepped into the spotlight to defend President Donald Trump regarding his claims about the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, but the move quickly backfired as critics pointed to a past social media controversy involving the senator himself, the Irish Star reports.
The situation centers on the president’s claim that he was physically carried out by firefighters who feared his building was collapsing. This story has faced significant scrutiny, especially since the president was reportedly at Trump Tower in Midtown Manhattan during the attacks, which is miles away from Ground Zero.
During an appearance on television with Kaitlin Collins, Cruz attempted to smooth over the situation. When Collins noted that the president seemed to be suggesting he was pulled out of the rubble, Cruz responded by saying, “September 11th was 25 years ago… the man is a New Yorker, he loves New York, and I have every doubt that what he is conveying there is what he experienced, and that was a traumatic experience for all of us.”
The defense did not sit well with many online observers, who were quick to bring up a moment from the senator’s own history
Years ago, reports surfaced that a staff account linked to Cruz had liked an explicit video on X during the anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. The incident became a major talking point once again after streamer Hasan Piker posted on X, stating, “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.”
At the time that initial controversy broke, Cruz blamed a staff member for the activity. He explained, “This is not how I envisioned waking up this morning… It appears that someone inadvertently hit the like button. When we discovered the post, which was I guess an hour or two later, we pulled it down. It was a staffing issue. And it was inadvertent – it was a mistake. It was not a deliberate act. We’re dealing with it internally, but it was a mistake. It was not malicious.”
Despite that explanation, the internet has a long memory, and screenshots of the alleged activity circulated widely following his recent comments.
The president’s own account of the day has shifted over time. On Tuesday, he told a story at the White House about two firefighters who he claimed grabbed him under the arms to carry him to safety because they feared a building collapse.
Trump stated, “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 arms, said, ‘Gotta get out of here.’ And they literally lifted me up. This is not easy to do.”
He later clarified his position in a social media message on Tuesday evening. He wrote, “I was there, obviously not on the same day as the collapse, but shortly thereafter. Everything I said was exactly accurate.” This aligns with a version of the story he told back in 2016, where he suggested the interaction with the firefighters occurred a couple of days after the attacks.
Other users on X, including California Governor Gavin Newsom, were not convinced by the evolving narrative, with one writing, “Nobody I know has forgotten exactly where they were that day. I remember the exact moment I first found out. No one has forgotten. Trump has been lying about this in different ways for years.”
Published: Sep 9, 2026 02:56 pm