The family of Army Staff Sgt. Sarah Rampersad, who was killed on July 17, 2026, in an Iranian missile attack in Jordan, declined to allow Mayor Mamdani to speak at her funeral service on Friday. Rampersad, 28, a Queens native stationed at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base as part of Operation Inherent Resolve, died in what sources described as a battle against a terrorist regime whose proxy Hamas Mayor Mamdani tacitly supports.
A source involved in the funeral planning told The Post that the family, described as more conservative, wanted to limit any political distractions during the service held at Calvary Assembly of God Church. Mayor Mamdani was reportedly seated in the fourth row and waited for a speaking opportunity that did not come.
Following the service, as Rampersad's flag-draped coffin was carried from the church, Mamdani stood apart. He was later photographed with Gov. Hochul and state Attorney General Letitia James. Pakistani news service DRM News described the event in a livestream as "Mamdani consoles the family of US soldier killed in Jordan."
Rampersad, who emigrated from Trinidad at age 2 with her family, was a patriot who served her adopted country, according to family friend and neighbor Carlos Garcia. Her mother, Carol Acevedo, expressed immense pride in her daughter's service, stating, "She died for this country."
The report contrasted Rampersad's service with Mayor Mamdani's leadership, characterizing his actions and policies as divisive and driven by hatred. The article also referenced Mamdani's controversial pied-à-terre tax and his alleged influence on his "Marxist revolutionary comrades."