Donald Trump on 9/11: Never Forget Rudy Giuliani

President Donald Trump used the 17th anniversary of the September 11 attacks to praise his personal lawyer and former New York City mayor, Rudy Giuliani. Before mentioning any victims of the 9/11 attacks, which killed 2,996 people and injured 6,000 others, the president tweeted that Giuliani's "leadership, bravery and skill must never be forgotten."

"Never forget" is a term typically associated with the tragic day and is meant to invoke the memories of those who died and the brave first responders who risked their lives in rescue missions.

"Rudy Giuliani did a GREAT job as Mayor of NYC during the period of September 11th. His leadership, bravery and skill must never be forgotten," Trump tweeted Tuesday morning. "Rudy is a TRUE WARRIOR!"

After the attacks, Giuliani was propelled into the national spotlight as "America's Mayor" and eventually ran for president on his record of leadership during and following the tragedy. Some survivors and first responders, however, were rubbed the wrong way by what they believed to be his insistence that he was the "hero of 9/11."

Giuliani has been criticized for ignoring serious problems with airborne caustic chemicals in downtown Manhattan and Brooklyn following the collapse of the Twin Towers. The mayor moved to reopen the Wall Street area only six days after the attack, saying that "the air quality is safe and acceptable." The United States Geological Survey, however, found asbestos and other cancerous elements throughout the area. At least 10,000 people have now been diagnosed with cancer related to the 9/11 attacks.

The president also took to Twitter to write "17 years since September 11th!" it was not immediately clear what the exclamation mark was supposed to imply.

Trump later tweeted an image of him and Melania with their hands over their hearts and the phrase "never forget" under the American flag. He flew Tuesday morning to Shanksville, Pennsylvania, to attend a Flight 93 September 11 memorial service.