Trump Hosts Weird 9/11 Tribute After Backing Out of National Ceremony

President Donald Trump hosted his own early-bird 9/11 tribute after deciding to skip the official ceremony in New York City where politicians aren't allowed to speak. His speech Tuesday demonstrated why that kind of rule is necessary. The president hosted first responders and officials at the White House for a deeply unserious speech intended to commemorate those lost in the deadly attacks on September 11, but mostly focused on boosting his own disastrous agenda. Trump began by ranting about his shameful militarization and beautification efforts in Washington, D.C., which have cost taxpayers nearly two billion dollars. He then tied the deadly terrorist attacks on 9/11 to his ongoing military campaign in Iran. "A certain nation that wanted a nuclear weapon, they were very close to getting it, and now they have no chance at getting it," Trump said, claiming Iran had been "punished greatly." After giving some shout-outs to various Cabinet members and Republican lawmakers in the audience, Trump briefly recounted his experience of watching the Twin Towers fall before veering into observations about something else entirely: The U.S. Steel Building, known as One Liberty Plaza, also "creaked a lot," according to the president. "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, and they said, 'Gotta get out of here,' and they literally lifted me up. This is not easy to do. I'm big, they lifted me up and started running with me," Trump said. Of course, One Liberty Plaza did not fall down, and Trump's anecdote only served to make light of the experience of New Yorkers who didn't have their own skyscrapers from which to survey the damage and chaos of 9/11. Trump also took a moment to thank law enforcement, before turning it into a political jab. "Our law enforcement holds our country together in light of some threats, we have some very real threats right now. We have people that want to go a different way. They want to go a communistic way, well that's not gonna work," Trump said. "Number one we're not gonna let it happen, but that's not gonna work." Trump reportedly decided to ditch the official memorial at Ground Zero on Friday after organizers told him he would not be invited to speak at the event. While Trump is not known for giving solemn speeches, and regularly detours into the political and absurd, in this case the organizers' decision was merely a matter of precedent. As part of its "Steel Across America" tour, the Tunnel to Towers Foundation will display a 21-foot, 16,9000-pound steel beam recovered from the World Trade Center on the White House Ellipse, which has been closed to the public.