Claims “thousands and thousands” in New Jersey cheered 9/11 and then doubles down

At a Nov. 21, 2015 rally, Trump said he watched “thousands and thousands of people” in New Jersey cheering as the World Trade Center came down on 9/11, and when fact-checkers and reporters noted there was no evidence such mass celebrations occurred, he repeated the story on ABC’s This Week the next day. Police, local officials, and extensive media review found no footage matching his description, and fact-checkers rated the allegation false or “Pants on Fire,” but Trump continued using it to paint Muslims as disloyal and to argue for increased surveillance of Muslim communities and mosques.

"thousands and thousands of people were cheering" — Alabama rally (Nov. 21, 2015) and ABC’s This Week the next day, describing supposed New Jersey 9/11 celebrations