Frank Bisignano Reflects on 9/11 Experience

Frank Bisignano, the commissioner of the Social Security Administration (SSA) and CEO of the Internal Revenue Service (IRS), shared his memories of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks during an interview on Saturday. He described his role as “a different type of first responder.”

Speaking to host Matthew Boyle on Breitbart News Saturday, just a day after the 25th anniversary of the attacks, Bisignano recalled that he was the chief administrative officer at Citigroup that morning, where he managed operations, technology, and business continuity for a company with about 16,000 employees situated in lower Manhattan.

During a meeting, Bisignano noticed the damage to the towers and felt compelled to evacuate his staff.

“When I looked in, I saw a big hole in the building and I saw everything you can imagine,” Bisignano recounted. “I called Tom Jones, a remarkable executive, and told him he needed to get out of Seven World Trade.”

He also reached out to senior executives Sandy Weill and Bob Druskin, urging them to leave “at all costs.” Remarkably, he mentioned that nearly all of the company’s employees in lower Manhattan survived, with Citigroup losing 1.3 million square feet at 7 World Trade Center, according to official accounts. Later, they managed to relocate over 16,000 displaced workers.

Bisignano emphasized the importance of keeping the financial systems operational during that crisis.

“I had to ensure that the financial systems continued running since we were the number one financial institution in the world,” he noted, adding that the government bond market reopened the following day.

About a decade later, Bisignano was diagnosed with throat cancer, an illness that he attributes to his time at Ground Zero, according to his SSA biography.

“September 11 changed the course of my life,” he remarked in a statement honoring the anniversary.

This interview coincided with the Trump administration highlighting economic successes ahead of the November midterms. Bisignano praised the Working Families Tax Cut Act, claiming it led to historically high refund amounts while also increasing revenue. He noted that 90 percent of refunds reached taxpayers in under 21 days.

His remarks followed a recent “State of the Economy” event where Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent emphasized record tax refunds and a rise in business startups.

“We’re fueling innovation across the country,” Bisignano said. “This is a long-term investment we’re making for America.”

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