Fact Check: Did Donald Trump say that he saved people on the Titanic?
WASHINGTON, DC: After President Donald Trump claimed that he was directly involved in the aid efforts following the 9/11 attacks, a rumor began circulating on social media platforms, claiming that the president said in a speech that he helped save people during the sinking of the Titanic. The claim has sparked criticism and needs a fact-check.
Claim: Donald Trump said he saved people during Titanic sinking
According to the viral rumor, Trump claimed in a speech that he had saved victims of the sinking of the RMS Titanic in 1912.
According to a viral Facebook post, Trump recounted helping the Titanic victims, stating, “I saved more people than anybody, many people, the best people. I said, ‘Turn left, Captain. Very simple. Very easy.’ He didn’t listen. I know icebergs. Nobody knows icebergs better than me.”
The alleged statement came even though he was born in 1946, decades before the Titanic sinking.
The claim has generated mostly mockery and criticism from online users, indicating they believe Trump made the claim in his speech, while a few others dismissed it as untrue.
Fact Check: Donald Trump said no such thing
However, the claim is rated false, as there is no evidence the president made such a claim about his involvement in the rescue efforts during the Titanic sinking.
None of his recent speeches related to 9/11 involve a mention of the sinking of the Titanic. There are no official statements, transcripts, or social media posts from the president that support the claim.
If Trump had really made such a claim, it would not go unreported by prominent news and entertainment media outlets. But a search on Google for the claim yielded no credible media reports.
Donald Trump's 9/11 rescue claim
The claim aligned with a speech Trump gave a few days ago at a tribute event for the 9/11 attacks, where he repeated a long-standing claim that he participated in relief efforts.
"We thought it was coming down on top of us, and two firemen, big strong guys — 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. This is not easy to do," he said.
"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."
