New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is facing criticism for what some observers describe as repetitive annual statements commemorating the 9/11 terror attacks, with many noting the messages have remained largely unchanged since he first entered public office.
Mamdani's 2024 post stated, "We mourn our neighbors who died that day. The countless first responders and families whose lives were forever changed. The millions who suffered in the wars that followed. In their memory, we work toward a better world." Onlookers have pointed out that this message is nearly identical to his statements in 2023 and every year going back to 2019.
Some critics question the sincerity of these repeated messages. Adam Fisher, a venture capitalist, accused Mamdani of expressing "moral equivalence between the American victims of 9/11 and those killed fighting American soldiers hunting al Qaeda." Fisher suggested Mamdani avoids blaming terrorists, stating, "While he might not ‘cheer another 9/11,’ I know he wouldn’t blame the terrorists."
Similar patterns have been observed in Mamdani's statements for Holocaust Remembrance Day. An account named The Uri noted that Mamdani used the exact same message for International Holocaust Remembrance Day from 2021 to 2023. Mamdani's posts on this day typically included a lament for the genocide of Jewish people, alongside a reference to the U.S. turning away Jewish refugees in 1939, noting that many were later murdered.
Mamdani's 9/11 messages have seen slight modifications over the years, primarily by swapping out the specific years. This pattern began after 2019, around the time Mamdani started pursuing elected office, winning a seat in the New York Assembly in 2020.
Lee Yimby, an account that tracks progressive Democrats, suggested that Mamdani felt compelled to issue a statement as a public figure in New York. "He copy-and-pasted this four years in a row while in assembly, because he had to say something as an NYC politician. Mamdani views the response to Islamic terrorist attacks as the real tragedy," Yimby wrote.
David Sivella, who identifies as a former Democrat, echoed these criticisms, stating that Mamdani, as a "Socialist Muslim, NY Assemblyman," had "literally cut and pasted the same 9/11 statement every year, just changing the years." Sivella added, "Zohran never mentions 9/11 first responders, the people he would lead as mayor. Zohran posts about Gaza."
Financier Bill Ackman also weighed in, criticizing the generalized nature of Mamdani's statements. "Note no mention of how they died and who was responsible," Ackman posted. "No mention that they were innocent civilians starting their work day and first responders who went to save them. No mention of the highjacking of the airplanes that were flown into the World Trade Center. No mention of murder or terrorism or who was responsible. Just a benign statement that a few thousand people died that day. He seems to imply they died of natural causes."
Republican senators have reportedly backed a petition from 9/11 families calling for Mamdani to be barred from attending the 25th anniversary of the attacks at Ground Zero, with one senator calling the mayor a "disgrace."
Mamdani's office did not immediately respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.