Donald Trump said Sunday he will look into requests from families of September 11 victims to release records that could shed light on Saudi Arabia's alleged role in the attacks 25 years ago. The families have asked the president to declassify and release the relevant records, and Trump, asked about it during his trip to Ireland, said he would consider it, PBS NewsHour reported.
What did the president say? "I'm going to look at it when I get back," Trump said just before boarding Air Force One to return to Washington after a weekend in Ireland. "I know they asked me Friday."
What do the families allege? Several families have long alleged that a group of extremist religious leaders in Saudi Arabia gained influence in the Saudi government and aided the hijackers, PBS NewsHour reported. Fifteen of the 19 hijackers were Saudis, but the Saudi government has long denied any involvement in the attacks. The relatives of victims have been engaged in a lengthy legal battle against the Saudis.
Who pressed him? Terry Strada, who lost her husband Tom Strada on 9/11, called on Trump during the remembrance in New York City on Friday to "tell the Saudis to stop lying," PBS NewsHour reported. Strada, one of the family members who read aloud the names of victims at this year's remembrance, said U.S. presidents had chosen "to protect the Saudis instead of standing with the 9/11 families" and that the current administration should "stand with the families, stand with the survivors." "It has been one betrayal after another," she said. "President Trump can still change that."
Figures referenced: Donald Trump. — JudgeMarket.
