As he visits Shanksville on 9/11 anniversary, Trump maintains he won Philly debate with Harris

SHANKSVILLE, Pa. — Former President Donald Trump remained insistent that he won his Philadelphia debate with Vice President Kamala Harris as both candidates returned to Pennsylvania to commemorate the anniversary of the Sept. 11 attacks with visits to the Flight 93 National Memorial.

Following the previous night’s debate, Harris and Trump appeared together earlier in the day at a 9/11 memorial ceremony in New York City alongside President Joe Biden and Trump’s running mate, Sen. JD Vance (R., Ohio). The two presidential contenders had a “very polite” exchange, Trump told reporters.

They then returned to Pennsylvania for separate visits to Shanksville to mark the 23rd anniversary of the attack with visits to the memorial displaying the names of passengers and crew members who lost their lives when United Flight 93 crashed near the Western Pennsylvania town.

The memorial visits came less than 24 hours after a debate where Trump spread debunked claims about Haitian migrants eating pets in Ohio and repeatedly strayed off message when baited by Harris, prompting concerns from some Pennsylvania Republicans. But Trump contended Harris’ desire for a second debate was proof he had won the contest.

“When you win, you don’t necessarily want to do it a second time,” Trump said. “It’s like a fighter. A fighter has a big fight and gets knocked out or loses the fight. The first thing he says is, ‘We want a rematch.’”

Trump was more disciplined on the solemn day than the previous evening, but that restraint was undercut by his decision to travel to the memorials with Laura Loomer, a right-wing influencer and former congressional candidate who has previously spread conspiracy theories about 9/11, including last year when she called the attack an “inside job.”

» READ MORE: Laura Loomer, who promoted a 9/11 conspiracy theory, joins Trump for ceremonies marking the attacks

Both Trump and Harris made staggered stops at the Shanksville Volunteer Fire Department. Outside the firehouse, Trump claimed he “won the debate according to every poll,” despite widespread criticism of his performance. Early national polls suggest that a majority of voters believe Harris won the 105-minute debate.

Trump said he’s still deciding whether he’ll participate in another one, hosted by either NBC or Fox News. Another presidential debate is scheduled for Sept. 25, to be hosted by NBC, but Trump said his team hasn’t determined it he will do it.

The former president made two stops in Somerset County to meet with families of the victims killed on Flight 93 when it crashed on Sept. 11, 2001, following its hijacking, and with first responders. He had a warm welcome in the county, which the former president won by 57 percentage points, or about 23,000 votes, in the 2020 election.

His motorcade passed more than a dozen Trump signs on the 30-minute drive to and from the John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport. And dozens of residents stood outside their homes or workplaces to wave flags and welcome him to the area.

Trump met with about 100 supporters and first responders in the fire hall, posing for selfies and signing hats, after he got a brief tour of the firehouse’s homemade Flight 93 Memorial.

Attendees chanted “USA!” and “Fight!” while Trump milled around the room.

Earlier in the day, Biden and Harris visited the same firehouse, where Biden donned a Trump hat at one point — an image promoted on social media by Trump’s campaign.

Andrew Bates, a White House spokesperson, posted on X that Biden put on the hat after speaking about national unity.

“As a gesture, he gave a hat to a Trump supporter who then said that in the same spirit, POTUS should put on his Trump cap. He briefly wore it,” Bates said.

Staff writers Emily Bloch and Julia Terruso contributed to this article.