If there is anywhere that mirth is out of place, it's the annual Sept. 11 remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero in New York City. The solemn event on Friday, September 11, 2026, marked the 25th anniversary of that tragedy. Dignitaries and family members stood by quietly as the names of those lost that day were read aloud.
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However, two prominent figures were allegedly seen laughing together, sparking outrage at their lack of decorum. Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were smiling broadly and apparently enjoying the moment. Their good-humored demeanor stood out all the more in the sea of somber faces.
Their high spirits quickly spread virally on social media. Per The Daily Mail, "...[V]iewers branded their joviality as 'a slap in the face' 'to victims."
Many Said That Mamdani Was Not Welcome at the Event
The mayor was apparently aware prior to the ceremony that his presence was not thought appropriate. Per the outlet, relatives of those who perished on 9/11 circulated a petition asking him not to attend. It reportedly got more than 100,000 signatures. Former New York Governor George Pataki evidently agreed. So did former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani. In fact, there was reportedly an awkward encounter between the current and ex-mayors of the Big Apple at the ceremony.
Giuliani vocally pushed back against Mamdani being there. Mamdani "released hundreds of thousands of previously unseen records" that allegedly indicated that Giuliani's administration was aware of the harmful nature of the air at Ground Zero.
Mamdani Also Got Heat for Something Else
Another 9/11-connected incident involving Mayor Mamdani also rankled people. According to The Daily Mail, he presented a ceremonial pen used during a 9/11 event to an attorney. This attorney "once represented a convicted al Qaeda member. and whose brother was one of the hijackers in the attacks."
For his part the mayor said that he planned to attend the 25th anniversary ceremony despite the tide of criticism. He said he also hoped to keep the attention squarely on the families of the deceased. Nevertheless, Mayor Zohran Mamdani got the spotlight anyway for all the wrong reasons, along with AOC.
