Trump once extended 'best wishes' to 'haters and losers' on 9/11 - then deleted the tweet years later

Two years ago, President Donald Trump's personal Twitter account deleted a message that marked the anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.

The tweet, which had been revisited by numerous tweeters as the billionaire was in the thrust of his presidential primary campaign, featured Trump extending "best wishes to all" on the anniversary. He added that those best wishes even applied to "the haters and losers."

Around 8:30 a.m. on September 11, 2015, the tweet was removed. However, a subsequent tweet in which Trump retweeted his own tweet, remains up on his account:

Asked why the tweet was removed at the time, spokeswoman Hope Hicks, now the interim White House communications director, told Business Insider, "It is from several years ago."

The Trump campaign didn't respond to a subsequent request for further explanation at the time.

Here's the original tweet:

In his first year as president, Trump participated in a traditional remembrance on the 16th anniversary of the attacks.

"The living, breathing soul of America wept with grief for every life taken on that day," he said in remarks at the Pentagon. "We shed our tears in their memory, pledged our devotion in their honor, and turned our sorrow into an unstoppable resolve to achieve justice in their name."

"The terrorists who attacked us thought they could incite fear and weaken our spirit," he added. "But America cannot be intimidated, and those who try will soon join the long list of vanquished enemies who dared to test our mettle."