This is a story about two contrasting realities on the same street.
It was shortly after 10 am on the 11th of September. At the end of lower Manhattan, a Chevrolet Suburban arrived at the fire station located at 42 South St. The station is home to Engine Company 4, Ladder 15.
The team of 4-15 is the guardian of Wall Street. Inside their station, their proud symbol displays the Charging Bull statue, encircled by fire. On this day, marking the anniversary of the September 11th attacks, they were dressed immaculately in their formal class A uniforms. They gathered around the arriving Chevy, from which emerged former president Donald Trump. They queued to greet him, offering a friendly clasp of his hand, a supportive pat on the back.
Trump engaged in friendly banter, “Hello, lads, didn’t notice you over there,” he said, extending his hand towards an overjoyed firefighter. The firefighter replied, “Mr. President, you were brilliant last night.”
Trump expressed his gratitude, paused for a moment and stated, “It was three against one.”
He was referring to the televised debate from the previous night where he was up against vice president Kamala Harris. In his view, it wasn’t just Harris but also the two ABC News moderators were against him, treating him with unjust bias.
“Yes, it was three against one,” he reiterated.
His voice held a certain quality, not exactly shame, embarrassment or sulkiness, maybe resignation. Resignation to the fact that Harris had bested him. On a platform viewed by over 60 million people, she had vehemently criticised him, calling him a “disgrace”, and goading him about losing supporters at his rallies. The most wrenching part was his downfall as he fell bait to her taunts, veering off his path. Even his allies at Fox News seemed to believe he had been outmanoeuvred.
However, within the fire station, he was still a hero.
The firefighter laughed, “They were really attacking you. But you did well.” He extended his hand for another handshake. Trump reciprocated once more, expressing his gratitude yet again.
Two youngsters, at one instance, put their eyes towards the sky and shouted, “President Trump, make America great again!” In response to which the prior ruler responded with a high-five. Trump was not alone; his sons, Donald Jr and Eric Trump, and his nominee, JD Vance, were accompanying him. At that moment, a notable shot was taken with a captain posing between Trump and Vance.
Despite his intricate past tied to September 11th, Trump was welcomed warmly. His controversial comments from the day of the terror attack, claiming his building to be the tallest following the twin towers’ fall, did not show him in the best light. Moreover, his inaccurate account of thousands of Muslims celebrating the tragic incident from New Jersey during his inaugural run for president further complicated his image.
Laura Loomer, a conspiracy theorist who suggested the 9/11 attack as an “inside job” a year back, was alongside him on the journey to the firehouse. Loomer stood next to a couple of wreaths, one of which held a banner reading, “God bless our fallen members,” and the latter inscribed, “Remembering all the victims on 9/11.” Busy with her phone, she walked up and down between Trump’s two strategists, Chris LaCivita and Susie Wiles.
However, the firefighters were more than glad to interact with Trump. Raised in New York, his accent resembled theirs closely, making the connection stronger, even though his residence is a luxurious triplex located high above. Some of their kin later appreciated how he met each individual, displaying his interest in discussing common experiences like golf and life rather than diving into politics.
His visit was received warmly, with comments like “Very respectful” and observations like “Caring, understanding, asked about sisters and brothers,” pouring in from the crowd.
However, contrastingly, Manhattan’s locals, who gathered across the road from the firehouse, reacted differently to his visit. A woman named Natalie Warkins, a 28-year-old music publisher, accused him of embarrassing himself with her morning Starbucks cup in hand.
At 52, Kajsa Hutton, a real estate worker, was walking by with her goldendoodle, Bruno. In her opinion, Kamala’s victory was no surprise as she felt that Trump lacked the necessary qualifications to be a president. Her comments came as traffic roared on the Franklin D Roosevelt Drive above and two military aircrafts were seen floating dramatically close to the Brooklyn Bridge. These had reportedly taken off from a nearby helipad, perhaps carrying President Biden or Harris who were also around.
Groups of gleeful tourists filled the area, constantly shifting their gaze from the hovering helicopters to the swarm of journalists with cameras, the president’s convoy, the Secret Service personnel, and the firefighters who had taken a break to take a picture with the potential future president.
One of the tourists, 26-year-old Filippo Felice from Tuscany, compared Trump to Italy’s Silvio Berlusconi. He termed Trump as the most powerful evolution of Berlusconi. Felice, who tuned into the previous night’s debate between Trump and Harris, found it hard to identify a solid rationale for anyone voting for Trump, particularly when considering his stand on issues like abortion, immigration, and bizarrely, dog-eating practices.
Despite his views, Felice was quick to admit that he did not fully understand US politics or culture, stating that his perception of New York feels vastly different from that of Wisconsin.
After the fanfare, Trump’s motorcade drove off. The onlooking firefighters returned to their station, and the crowd started to disperse.
This piece was originally published in the New York Times.