How 9/11 paved the way for Trump vs. Hillary

Fifteen years ago, before September 11, a presidential candidate would have had to answer the awkward question Cruz was trying to plant head on: If you grew up in New York City, in a life of luxury and comfort, going into bankruptcy four times, how can you understand the concerns of average Americans? Before September 11, would Trump have been able to deliver an answer satisfying enough to win over 40 percent of the Republican electorate? Maybe. But back then, it would’ve been a whole lot harder.
Clinton has tried to do employ the same argument that Trump used to swat away an opponent’s criticisms. Asked about her Wall Street contributors at a November 2015 debate in Iowa, she pivoted: “Where were we attacked? We were attacked in downtown Manhattan, where Wall Street is. I did spend a whole lot of time and effort helping them rebuild. That was good for New York. It was good for the economy, and it was a way to rebuke the terrorists who had attacked our country.” Her pivot was awkward—even tacky, some said—but the fact remained: September 11 helped neutralize concerns about her ties to New York.

Now, with less than two months left in the presidential race, New York continues to play an outsized role in the election. Both campaigns are based out of the city. Former mayor Rudy Giuliani is among Trump’s most active surrogates, while his successor, Michael Bloomberg, has endorsed Clinton and is making a major play in Senate and House races throughout the country. Come the morning of November 9, a New Yorker will likely be the president-elect of the United States.