Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani have drawn criticism after video appeared to show them laughing during the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11th terrorist attacks at Ground Zero. The footage, captured from a live feed of the ceremony, shows the two New York Democrats in seemingly jovial interaction while victims' names were being read aloud.
During the somber event, which includes readings by victims' families, the video shows Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani appearing to laugh. The footage also intersperses these moments with shots of other attendees visibly distressed, including one man seen crying and others reading the names of their lost loved ones from the podium.
The interaction has sparked condemnation from various quarters, with some viewers expressing dismay at the apparent levity shown by the politicians during a ceremony dedicated to remembrance and mourning for the nearly 3,000 lives lost on September 11, 2001.