Former President Donald Trump has criticized New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for laughing during a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11th terror attacks. The incident occurred last Friday at the Ground Zero Memorial in lower Manhattan as victims' relatives were reading the names of those lost.
Trump, speaking to reporters in Ireland on Sunday, described the Democrats' behavior as "terrible" and "inappropriate," particularly "at a very important part of the ceremony." He emphasized that the Ground Zero Memorial is not a place for laughter, especially during the recitation of victims' names.
The moment was captured on video and circulated on social media, drawing criticism from viewers who called the reaction "a slap in the face" to victims and their families. Texas Senator Ted Cruz also commented on the incident via X, questioning the appropriateness of laughing while the names of 9/11 victims were being read aloud.
This is not the first time Mamdani has faced scrutiny regarding the 9/11 memorial. He had previously been urged by some 9/11 victims' groups to not attend the ceremony, a request he declined. A petition signed by over 100,000 relatives of victims reportedly called for his absence. Mamdani stated he intended for the focus to remain on the families affected by the attacks.
Further criticism was directed at Mamdani earlier in the week for presenting a ceremonial pen from a 9/11 remembrance event to an attorney who had represented a convicted al-Qaeda member. The attorney's brother was also identified as one of the hijackers on September 11th, 2001.
Mamdani's attendance at the memorial also came despite calls from former New York Governor George Pataki for him to stay away. The mayor, when questioned about these calls, maintained his intention to attend and redirect attention to the victims' families.