India, Sept. 11 -- "40 Wall Street actually was the second-tallest building in downtown Manhattan, and it was actually, before the World Trade Center, was the tallest - and then, when they built the World Trade Center, it became known as the second tallest. And now it's the tallest." These were Donald Trump's words on September 11, 2001, hours after the World Trade Center towers were attacked and brought down.

Trump, a prominent New York City real estate developer and media personality at the time, was speaking by phone to WWOR-TV, a New Jersey television station covering the attacks. The anchor asked Trump whether 40 Wall Street, his 70-story skyscraper located just blocks from Ground Zero, had suffered any physical damage. Trump briefl...