New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced sharp criticism from President Donald Trump and other political figures after video footage captured them laughing during the 25th-anniversary memorial ceremony for the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Video Footage Sparks Outrage at Ground Zero
While mourners stood silently around them, video footage showed the two Democratic officials bursting into laughter, according to the source article.
President Trump Condemns Behavior in Ireland
President Trump condemned the behavior while speaking to reporters on September 13, 2026, in Ireland while returning from the Irish Open. He described the reaction as terrible and stated that the Ground Zero Memorial is not a place for laughter, according to the source article.
“The fact that they were laughing together at a very important part of the ceremony was inappropriate,” Trump told reporters, according to the source article.
Social Media Backlash From Lawmakers
Other high-profile politicians also criticized the lawmakers on social media.
Texas Senator Ted Cruz posted on X, questioning the appropriateness of laughing while the names of murder victims were being read aloud, as reported in the source article.
Petition and Prior Friction Over Attendance
The controversy follows earlier friction regarding Mamdani’s attendance at the anniversary event. According to the source article, a petition launched by 9/11 victims’ relatives urged the mayor to stay away from the annual ceremony, garnering more than 100,000 signatures. Former New York Governor George Pataki also joined calls for Mamdani to avoid the event.
Mamdani declined to follow those calls, stating prior to the event that he wanted the focus to remain on the families who lost loved ones during the 2001 attacks.
Ceremonial Pen Controversy Deepens Scrutiny
Additional criticism arose later in the week.
Mamdani handed a ceremonial pen from a remembrance event to an attorney who previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda member and whose brother was one of the hijackers, according to the source article.
Keep reading