In a viral resurgence across social media, particularly on the platform formerly known as Twitter, a vintage interview with Donald Trump has grabbed the spotlight.

The interview, conducted on the fateful day of September 11, 2001, when the world witnessed the tragic collapse of the World Trade Center, offers a unique insight into the mind of the real estate mogul, who was far from being the President at that time.

Speaking in a phone interview with a local New York news station mere hours after the devastating events unfolded, Trump shared his unexpected views on the catastrophe. As someone with a background in property development, he offered a perspective that would, in hindsight, be deemed controversial.

Trump’s remarkable statements revolved around his skepticism regarding how a passenger plane could pierce through the formidable steel exterior of the Twin Towers. He posed a provocative theory, suggesting that the buildings were not solely brought down by the impact of the planes but by “bombs that exploded almost simultaneously” upon collision.

In his own words from the interview: “It wasn’t architectural defect. The World Trade Center was always known as a very, very strong building. Don’t forget that took a big bomb in the basement [in a 1993 attack].”

He further elaborated: “When I first looked at it I couldn’t believe it because there was a hole in the steel. Remember that the width of the windows in the World Trade Center, if you were ever up there, they were quite narrow, and in between was this heavy steel.”

Trump’s astonishment continued as he questioned the mechanics of the event, stating, “Because I can’t imagine anything being able to go through that wall. Most buildings are built with the steel on the inside around the elevator shaft; this one was built from the outside, which is the strongest structure you can have. And it was almost like a can of soup.”

He added, “I just think it was a plane with more than just fuel. I think obviously they were very big planes and they were moving very rapidly… it just seemed to me that to do that kind of destruction is even more than a big plane because you’re talking about taking out steel.”