Trump donates $100,000 to 9/11 Memorial Museum in New York primary season move

Donald Trump, the Republican presidential candidate, visited the National September 11 Memorial & Museum in New York with his wife Melania, paid the entrance fee, and donated $100,000 to the institution. The visit occurred ten days before the New York primary elections, where Trump faces Ted Cruz for the Republican nomination, while Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders compete for the Democratic ticket. The donation drew criticism from U.S. media, as Trump had never previously visited the memorial, which opened in 2011 and officially in 2014, despite his strong foreign policy stances. According to the New York Daily News, Trump had not found time to honor the 9/11 victims before. Critics, including Ben Davis of News Examiner and Josh Voorhees of Slate, noted Trump's lack of philanthropic activity: he donated only $3.7 million to his own foundation in the past year, which receives more from external donors, and has not personally donated since 2008, suggesting the gesture was a marketing move. Trump tweeted that it was a great honor to visit with his wife, but also remarked that the Twin Towers were never beautiful buildings. The impact on New York voters on April 19 remains to be seen.