Gavin Newsom’s office calling the story “absolutely disgusting” captured what many feel: that inventing or embellishing personal heroism on a day when so many actually died saving others crosses a moral line. Critics see a pattern of self‑aggrandizement, accusing Trump of placing himself at the center of a tragedy that was never about him. Others argue memories blur over time. In the end, the clash is about more than politics; it’s about who owns the stories of sacrifice, and who has the right to speak in their name.