New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are facing fierce criticism after cameras captured the two Democrats smiling and briefly laughing together during the solemn 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 terrorist attacks at Ground Zero.
The moment occurred as relatives of the nearly 3,000 people murdered on September 11, 2001, were participating in the traditional reading of the victims’ names at the National September 11 Memorial in Lower Manhattan.
Video of the exchange quickly spread across social media, prompting outrage from critics who said that regardless of what the two politicians were discussing, laughing during one of the most solemn moments on New York City’s calendar was deeply inappropriate.
President Donald Trump joined the criticism, calling their behavior “terrible” and “inappropriate.”
“I think it’s terrible,” Trump said when asked about the footage. “It’s not a place to be laughing, especially in that case.”
The video shows Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez speaking before both break into smiles and apparent laughter. There is no audio of their conversation, and therefore no evidence that they were laughing about the victims, their families, or the reading of the names itself.
Michael Ragusa, a former aide to Mayor Rudy Giuliani who said he was standing alongside Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez, strongly pushed back against the criticism.
“The videos of @NYCMayor and @AOC laughing are not true. I was standing next to them the whole time. The camera just caught her greeting him hello. Multiple other politicians were laughing and joking behind me. Republicans and Democrats.”
The controversy nevertheless proved particularly combustible because of the setting — and because Mamdani’s presence at the ceremony had already been the subject of heated debate.
Ahead of the anniversary, relatives of 9/11 victims circulated a petition urging Mamdani not to attend the Ground Zero ceremony, citing his previous political positions and rhetoric. The organizer of the petition later said he was disappointed that the mayor attended but did not regret publicly opposing his presence.
Mamdani ultimately attended alongside a long list of current and former national and New York leaders. Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, whose leadership following the attacks became synonymous with New York’s response to 9/11, was also present and shook Mamdani’s hand before the ceremony despite previously saying the mayor should stay away.
The 25th anniversary ceremony included the reading of the names of those murdered in the attacks and six traditional moments of silence marking the attacks and collapse of the Twin Towers. This year, organizers added a seventh moment of silence honoring those who subsequently died from illnesses connected to exposure to toxins at Ground Zero.
Before attending the ceremony, Mamdani released a video marking the anniversary and unequivocally described September 11 as a terrorist attack.
“September 11th was a horrific act of terror. A day of immeasurable loss – 2,753 parents and children, husbands and wives, friends and colleagues – 2,753 universes gone in an instant.”
(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)
