Full Breakdown
Pataki Marks 25th Anniversary of 9/11, Reflects on Response, Health and Memory
By Drooid · · How we work
Core Event: Pataki’s 25-Year Reflection on September 11
Former New York Governor George Pataki, who was in office on September 11, 2001, sat down with PBS anchor Geoff Bennett to recount the immediate crisis, the subsequent rebuilding of Lower Manhattan, and his own lingering health issues linked to exposure at Ground Zero. He also said he now lives with a “minor respiratory illness” that he attributes to the toxic dust he inhaled while working at the site.
Background & Context
Pataki led New York State from 1995 to 2006, overseeing the response to the deadliest terrorist attack on U.S. soil. In the days after the towers fell, he worked alongside Mayor Rudy Giuliani to coordinate rescue, recovery, and the early phases of rebuilding. The attacks killed nearly 3,000 people and destroyed roughly 10 million square feet of office space in Lower Manhattan. Pataki later helped shape the master plan that preserved the footprints of the towers, created a memorial plaza, and cleared the way for the 1,776-foot One World Trade Center.
Data & Statistics
- Fatalities on September 11, 2001: nearly 3,000.
- Office space lost: about 10 million sq ft.
- Height of the tallest new building at the site: 1,776 ft.
- Pataki’s age at the time of the interview: 81.
Official Statements & Responses
Pataki said officials repeatedly told responders that the air was “safe,” a claim he now disputes, noting that “the air was clearly horrible” with dust visible “from river to river.”
Pataki emphasized that the attacks were a “calculated attack by Islamic jihadists,” not a critique of Islam itself.
Verbatim Quotes
- “I’m truly honored to be in the presence, who I believe, next to Teddy Roosevelt, is the greatest governor we have ever had in New York State” — Carmella Mantello, Mayor of the city of Troy
- “In Governor Pataki’s 12 years as Governor he revolutionized the State of New York. He inherited a State that was in shambles, that was in horrific debt, yet he cut taxes and reformed Medicare. Governor Pataki, reformed the criminal justice system, enacted the death penalty, signed laws that people are still talking about that protect the most vulnerable of our people here in New York.” — State Senate. Mahoney, say about governor
- “As Governor, you built a foundation for the state that we continue to benefit from…and your public service continues.” — Governor Keogh
- “By the last campaign, it was slightly different,” — George Pataki, york republican governor
What's Next
Pataki noted that on December 7, a scheduled observance will prompt many to pause and recognize the anniversary, though he fears that “very few” will truly engage with the memory.
Conflicting Reports & Gaps
Pataki’s personal health claim—that his respiratory condition stems from Ground Zero exposure—is not corroborated by independent medical data in the provided sources. No alternative estimates of the number of responders who have become ill are offered, leaving the full scope of long-term health impacts unclear.
