Norfolk, Virginia | October 5, 2025 — Shocking Claim: Trump Warned About Bin Laden Before 9/11, honored US Navy SEALs.U.S. President Donald Trump praised the US Navy SEALs for their 2011 operation that killed Al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden, while reiterating his long-standing claim that he had warned authorities about bin Laden a year before the September 11, 2001 attacks.
Trump made the remarks during a speech in Norfolk, Virginia, marking the 250th anniversary of the U.S. Navy, emphasizing his perspective on counterterrorism, U.S. military success, and political accountability.
Shocking Claim: Trump Warned About Bin Laden Before 9/11
Trump began his address by highlighting the historic significance of the Navy SEALs operation in Abbottabad, Pakistan, in May 2011.
“History will never forget that it was the SEALs who stormed the compound of Osama bin Laden and put a bullet in his head. Remember that,” Trump said.
The raid, authorised by then-President Barack Obama, successfully neutralized the mastermind behind the 9/11 attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. The operation, executed by Navy SEAL Team 6, has been hailed as one of the most precise and daring counterterrorism missions in U.S. history.
Trump vividly recounted the aftermath, saying the Navy “dumped bin Laden’s wretched corpse off the decks of the USS Carl Vinson to sink into the dark abyss.”
Claims of Early Warning About Bin Laden
Trump then pivoted to his repeated claim that he had warned about Osama bin Laden a year before 9/11, referencing his 2000 book, The America We Deserve.
“Please remember, I wrote about Osama bin Laden exactly one year before he blew up the World Trade Center. And I said, ‘You got to watch Osama bin Laden,’” Trump said.
He argued that the media had ignored or dismissed his warning. “The fake news would never let me get away with that statement unless it was true. So, we got to take a little credit because nobody else is going to give it to me.”
In the book, Trump wrote about geopolitical threats facing the United States, including Osama bin Laden, describing him as a “shadowy figure with no fixed address” and a potential danger to U.S. security.
Trump said the warning he had written highlighted the imminent threat posed by Al-Qaeda, claiming that authorities failed to act at the time.
“I saw somebody named Osama bin Laden and didn’t like it. You got to take care of him. They didn’t do it. A year later, he blew up the World Trade Center,” Trump said.
Trump’s Narrative on Credit and U.S. Military Success
Throughout the speech, Trump emphasized the role of personal foresight and U.S. military effectiveness.
“Got to take a little credit because nobody else is going to give it to me. You know the old story, they don’t give you credit. Just take it yourself,” he said.
He also connected the 2011 raid to broader claims about U.S. military engagements. Criticizing former President Joe Biden’s withdrawal from Afghanistan, Trump stated:
“We would have won Afghanistan easy. Would have won every war easy. But we got politically correct. ‘Let’s take it easy.’ We’re not politically correct anymore. Just so you understand, we win. Now we win.”
Trump framed the Navy SEALs operation as a symbol of American strength and decisiveness, juxtaposing it with what he described as political inaction in the early 2000s.
The 2011 Abbottabad Raid: A Historic Milestone
The Abbottabad raid remains a key event in the fight against international terrorism. On May 2, 2011, Navy SEALs infiltrated bin Laden’s heavily fortified compound in Pakistan and killed him after a short firefight.
Former President Barack Obama publicly confirmed the mission’s success, stating:
“I can report to the American people and to the world that the United States has conducted an operation that killed Osama bin Laden, the leader of Al-Qaeda, and a terrorist who’s responsible for the murder of thousands of innocent men, women, and children.”
The operation was widely considered a strategic and psychological victory for the United States, sending a strong message about U.S. counterterrorism capabilities.
Trump’s Reference to His Book, The America We Deserve
Trump repeatedly cited his 2000 book, The America We Deserve, claiming it contained warnings about bin Laden’s potential threat.
The book, published while Trump campaigned for President on the Reform Party ticket, addressed a range of policy proposals, including taxation, healthcare, and foreign policy. While it mentioned bin Laden, the book did not predict the 9/11 attacks explicitly.
In the text, Trump described a world of escalating global crises, noting:
“Instead of one looming crisis hanging over us, we face a bewildering series of smaller crises, flash points, standoffs, and hot spots. We’re not playing the chess game to end all chess games anymore. We’re playing tournament chess — one master against many rivals.”
Trump singled out bin Laden as an early symbol of the challenges facing U.S. national security. “One day we’re told that a shadowy figure named Osama bin-Laden is public enemy number one, and U.S. jet fighters lay waste to his camp in Afghanistan. He escapes back under some rock, and a few news cycles later it’s on to a new enemy and new crisis,” he wrote.
Historical Context of the Claim
Trump’s assertion of early warning has been widely debated by historians and journalists. While it is true that The America We Deserve mentions bin Laden, experts note that the book does not offer an explicit prediction of the September 11 attacks or suggest a specific course of action for U.S. authorities.
Analysts have pointed out that references to bin Laden were general observations about terrorism and Al-Qaeda, rather than actionable intelligence.
Nevertheless, Trump’s narrative continues to highlight the intersection of foresight, media portrayal, and personal credit in U.S. politics.
Reactions and Media Coverage
Media reactions to Trump’s claims have been mixed.
- Some conservative outlets echoed his statements as evidence of strategic foresight.
- Mainstream and independent journalists emphasized the lack of direct, actionable warning in his 2000 book.
- Analysts noted that Trump’s comments appear to reframe historical events to underscore his leadership qualities and relationship with U.S. military operations.
Political commentators also discussed Trump’s broader emphasis on political correctness and military decisiveness, drawing connections between his bin Laden remarks and critiques of the Afghanistan withdrawal.
Trump on Political Correctness and Military Strategy
Trump linked his recounting of bin Laden to a critique of U.S. military policy under subsequent administrations.
“We got politically correct. Let’s take it easy. We’re not politically correct anymore. Just so you understand, we win. Now we win,” Trump said.
He framed this as a lesson in prioritizing decisive action over bureaucratic caution, arguing that the SEALs’ raid represented what U.S. policy should always emulate: swift, effective military action with clear objectives.
Legacy of the Bin Laden Raid
The 2011 Abbottabad operation remains a defining moment in U.S. counterterrorism history. It demonstrated:
- Operational precision of U.S. Navy SEALs
- The value of intelligence coordination and risk management
- Symbolic closure for Americans affected by 9/11
Trump’s speech, delivered during the Navy’s 250th anniversary, framed the raid as an example of American resolve, linking it to broader critiques of perceived military indecision and political inaction in the early 2000s.
Conclusion: Blending History and Politics
Trump’s remarks underscore the intersection of personal narrative, historical events, and political messaging. By emphasizing both his claimed foresight about Osama bin Laden and the decisive action of the Navy SEALs, he combined:
- Tribute to U.S. military heroism
- Assertion of personal foresight
- Critique of political correctness and subsequent administrations
While historians continue to scrutinize the claim that Trump warned about bin Laden a year before 9/11, his speech reflects how historical events are often reinterpreted for contemporary political messaging.
For the public, the Abbottabad raid and the 9/11 attacks remain indelible milestones in U.S. history — moments that shaped counterterrorism, national security policy, and political discourse for decades.
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