The Most Compelling 9/11 Conspiracy Theories

UPDATED: Sept. 3, 2025, 6:30 P.M.

Originally published September 2011

It’s been 21 years since 9/11, and still, many conspiracy theories linger around that horrific day. Even though some have been debunked, people still latch on to them. Some might argue that conspiracies have birthed a culture of false truths, creating a division in this country that we haven’t seen in decades.

On January 6, 2021, Donald Trump supporters stormed the Capitol building trying to overturn the election because they believed an easily debunked conspiracy that he actually won. Five people died and hundreds were injured. We’ve also witnessed the rise of QAnon, a right-wing group that uses conspiracy theories as motives to commit violent acts.

READ MORE: Remembering The Unsung Heroes Of Color From 9/11

Conspiracy theories will always be a part of American culture, and so will 9/11. Since there are questions we will never get answers to, some of these conspiracies will live on forever. As we approach the 24th anniversary of the September 11 terror attacks, conspiracy theories about that fateful date in American history have not only persisted, but they’ve also thrived.

Many have been recycled over the years, but more recent ones have arisen, as well, such as the U.S. government supposedly not deploying the military to stop the planes from flying into the Twin Towers so it could justify fighting a foreign war.

Not surprisingly, Trump, before he was president, also got in on the act, implying that Muslims in America were happy with September 11, claiming that “thousands and thousands of people [in New Jersey] were cheering as that building was coming down.”

That dubious assertion has been shut down with tangible proof, but the following conspiracy theories about what really happened on September 11 are still apparently up for debate. Read on to see.

Many 9/11 conspiracy theories surfaced shortly after the September 11th attacks — some bringing compelling arguments, and some not holding up at all. Theorists believe that the World Trade Center buildings were demolished by bombs, phone calls from the planes were made up, or that former President George W. Bush secretly profited from the attacks.

Here, we compiled a list of the 11 most compelling 9/11 conspiracy theories that exist to date.

1. Insider Traders Knew About Attacks Before They Happened

Right before the September 11th attacks, some fishy business happened within the stock market and insurance firms. An “extraordinary” amount of put options were placed on United Airlines and American Airlines stocks, the same airlines that were hijacked during the attacks. Many speculate that traders were tipped off about the attacks and profited from the tragedy. The Securities and Exchange Commission launched an insider trading investigation in which Osama bin Laden was a suspect, after receiving information from at least one Wall Street firm.

2. Air Defense Was Told To ‘Stand Down’

If an airplane is hijacked, the North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) is prepared to send out fighter jets, which can disable or shoot down the aircraft. On 9/11/01, NORAD generals said they learned of the hijackings in time to scramble fighter jets. Some skeptics believe NORAD commanded defense systems to “stand down” because of their lack of presence during the attacks.

3. Planes Didn’t Make Twin Towers Collapse, Bombs Did

The World Trade Center collapse appeared similar to a controlled demolition. Many speculate that the towers were, in fact, blown down with explosives placed in selected locations. Some witnesses recounted hearing explosions inside the building as they attempted to escape. Many architects and scientists even maintain that a plane’s fuel cannot produce enough heat to melt the steel frames of the two buildings that collapsed.

4. The Pentagon Attack Scientifically Doesn’t Hold Up

The Pentagon crash may be the most puzzling event of the day. Theorists maintain that the impact holes in the Pentagon were significantly smaller than those of a commercial American Airlines plane. They also question why the plane was not shot down before impact, as well as why the plane impacted a section of the Pentagon that was vacant due to renovations.

Conspiracy theorists believe that the Pentagon was struck not by a commercial airliner, but by a U.S. missile as part of a government-led operation. Proponents of this theory argue that the hole left in the Pentagon was too small to have been caused by a Boeing 757.

However, experts have dismissed this claim. A member of the American Society of Civil Engineers told Popular Mechanics that the damage to the Pentagon was consistent with a plane crash. According to the analysis, one wing of the aircraft struck the ground before impact, while the other was sheared off as the plane collided with the building, explaining the shape and size of the resulting hole.

5. Flight 93 Was Completely Staged

The fourth hijacked plane, Flight 93, crashed in Shanksville, Penn. It is believed that the passengers fought back and crashed the plane into a field. Skeptics believe that Flight 93 landed safely, while a substitute plane was shot out of the sky. Other theorists believe that the passengers were murdered or relocated and will never be found.

6. Hijackers Are Alive. How Did Their Passports Survive The Explosion?

After the September 11th attacks, the “Loose Change” documentary stated that all of the hijackers were actually alive in other countries, rather presumptuous since it is possible for two different people to have identical names. But they did raise a good point: how did the passports of the terrorists survive the explosion? In the aftermath of the attacks, passports and identification were found as evidence. Many skeptics question how an identification made out of paper survived the same explosion that destroyed buildings.

7. Cell Phone Calls Made From Plane Were Faked

In-flight calls were made from cell phones on both hijacked airplanes. Scientists and skeptics argue that cell phones cannot receive reception from the altitude at which planes typically fly. Others questioned a phone call from a son to his mother, in which he referred to himself by his own first and last name.

8. Jewish People Knew Attack Was Going To Happen, Took Off Work On September 11th

One of the most persistent and offensive conspiracy theories is the claim that Jewish employees were warned in advance not to go to work on 9/11, implying Israeli or Jewish complicity in the attacks. Some versions of this theory allege that 4,000 Jewish people stayed home that day, supposedly tipped off by Israeli intelligence, the BBC reported. 

This claim is unequivocally false. Research from the BBC’s Conspiracy Files documentary found that out of the 2,071 victims who worked at the World Trade Center, 119 were confirmed to be Jewish, and at least another 72 were believed to be. This represents approximately 9.2% of the WTC victims, closely aligning with the estimated 9.7% of New York’s commuter population that identified as Jewish at the time.

Estimates suggest as many as 400 Jewish people may have died in the attacks. Similar baseless theories have also attempted to link Iraq, Iran, and other nations to the plot. Still, no credible evidence has ever been found to support claims of direct involvement by any foreign government beyond the al-Qaeda network.

9. Black Boxes Found By Search Crew Kept Secret

During the weeks following the attack, the planes’ black boxes were some of the most important items under investigation. They were the only evidence of what happened inside the cockpits of the plane. Three of four black boxes were found, and only one was in good enough condition to hear. The tape was not initially released, but it was shared with the families of the victims in 2002. Skeptics believe the tapes were not disclosed in order to support a secret scheme.

10. The Bin Laden Tapes Are Fake

Initially, Osama bin Laden denied any involvement with the attacks. Soon afterward, numerous tapes emerged claiming he had changed his mind and taken full responsibility. Many skeptics believe that Bin Laden was targeted because of his stake in the stock market, as well as because of former President George W. Bush’s personal business ventures in the Middle East.

11. Aluminum Planes Couldn’t Penetrate The Steel Structure Of The World Trade Center

Commercial airplanes’ frames are constructed with a lightweight aluminum material to make them easier to fly. Theorists maintain there is no possible way an airplane can do as much damage to the Twin Towers as it did. They believe that missiles or explosives were used to ensure the buildings collapsed. However, this has been proven to be absolutely false.

Popular Mechanics editor-in-chief and 9/11 researcher Jonathan Meigs explained during a 2011 interview with WBUR that the collapse began at the impact zones high up on the towers, with enormous mass above crushing the structure below both buildings. Physics can clearly explain why they fell straight down, Meigs noted: due to gravity and structural overload, not explosives. Conspiracy theorists often misuse “common sense” or misunderstand the science involved, Meigs added.

12. United Airlines Flight 93 Was Shot Down And Did Not Crash

Another frequently circulated theory is that United Airlines Flight 93 was shot down by U.S. forces, rather than crashing as officially reported. In reality, Flight 93 went down near Shanksville, Pennsylvania, after passengers attempted to retake control of the plane from the hijackers. Conspiracy theorists point to the presence of a white business jet seen in the area as evidence of a shootdown. However, aviation authorities clarified that the plane had been requested to inspect the crash site and reported observing a large smoking crater, consistent with an impact, not an explosion from a missile, as noted by the BBC News. 

Vice President Dick Cheney later disclosed in his autobiography that he had authorized the military to shoot down any commercial aircraft suspected of being hijacked. However, the 9/11 Commission found that the order was not communicated to fighter pilots until 10:31 a.m.—well after Flight 93 had already crashed at 10:03 a.m., according to the 9/11 Commission report and History.

We may never know the entire story behind this tragic attack,  but we will always remember the people we lost on that painful day.

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