Trump posthumously awards the Medal of Freedom to Welles Crowther, who saved up to 18 people on 9/11

Political Guyentist · September 9, 20261 min read

The White House Ellipse tribute Tuesday displayed a 21-foot, roughly 17,000-pound steel beam from the World Trade Center's South Tower, where Crowther died.

Also at the eventCrowther, known as the man in the red bandanna, guided survivors down from the South Tower before it collapsed.2 details

Crowther, known as the man in the red bandanna, guided survivors down from the South Tower before it collapsed.
Trump also announced a new Coast Guard cutter named for Jeffrey Palazzo, an NYC firefighter and Coast Guard reservist killed in the attacks.

What we’re less sure of3 of 7 claims

Medium
Crowther saved up to 18 people on 9/11
Sources tie the 'up to 18' figure to Trump's account of the stairwell (Fox News); NYT phrases it as 'credited with saving 18 people' — a credited estimate, not a verified count.
Medium
The tribute displayed a 21-foot, roughly 17,000-pound steel beam from the World Trade Center's South Tower
Specific dimensions and weight appear in event coverage of the 'Steel Across America' display; single-detail figure carried from the ceremony's own description.
Medium
Trump announced a new Coast Guard cutter named for Jeffrey Palazzo, an NYC firefighter and Coast Guard reservist killed in the attacks
ABC News reports the commissioning announcement; however Ocean News reports the Coast Guard took delivery of USCGC Jeffrey Palazzo (WPC 1163) on June 11, 2026, so 'new' announcement framing is the desk's compression of a prior naming.