Trump condemns Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez for laughter at 9/11 memorial
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
President Trump publicly condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after footage showed them laughing together during the 25th anniversary 9/11 memorial ceremony in lower Manhattan, as victims' relatives read out the names of the dead. Speaking to reporters in Ireland on his way back from the Irish Open, Trump called their behaviour "terrible" and "inappropriate", saying the Ground Zero ceremony was no place for laughter. The clip circulated widely online, with critics including Texas Senator Ted Cruz accusing the pair of showing disrespect to grieving families, particularly as the moment came shortly after a victim's relative was seen weeping on stage.
The episode capped a difficult week for Mamdani, who had already faced pressure from 9/11 victims' groups, a petition with more than 100,000 signatures, and criticism from former Governor George Pataki urging him to stay away from the event altogether. He was also criticised for handing a ceremonial pen to a lawyer who had represented a convicted al-Qaeda member and whose brother was among the 9/11 hijackers. Despite the pressure, Mamdani attended and said he wanted attention kept on the families who lost loved ones in the attacks 25 years ago.
- Sources
- 2
- Outlets
- 2
- Left · Centre · Right
- 0 · 0 · 2
In short
- Trump called Mamdani and AOC's 9/11 memorial laughter "terrible" and "inappropriate"
- Video of the pair laughing during victims' names went viral
- Mamdani had faced separate criticism and calls to skip the ceremony
How this story developed
- 2 months ago President Trump has escalated his criticism of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, telling reporters in Ireland on Sunday that their laughter during Friday's 25th anniversary 9/11 memorial in lower Manhattan was "terrible" and "inappropriate," insisting the Ground Zero ceremony was no place for it.
- 2 months ago President Trump publicly condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after footage showed them laughing together during the 25th anniversary 9/11 memorial ceremony in lower Manhattan, as victims' relatives read out the names of the dead.
- 2 months ago President Trump criticised New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez after the pair were filmed laughing together during last Friday's ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks in lower Manhattan.
Full account
A ceremony held in lower Manhattan to mark the 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks has become the focus of political controversy after footage emerged of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez appearing to laugh and smile together while the names of those killed were being read aloud. Broadcast coverage of Friday's Ground Zero event cut from a mourner visibly overcome with emotion to the two Democrats sharing what looked like a light-hearted exchange; what they were discussing was not audible. Clips of the moment spread rapidly online, with many commentators arguing it struck an inappropriate note at what is traditionally one of the most solemn occasions in the American calendar.
President Donald Trump was asked about the footage on Sunday as he returned to the United States from Ireland, where he had spent the weekend at the Irish Open at his Doonbeg golf resort. He described the pair's conduct as "terrible" and said the memorial was not an appropriate setting for laughter, 'particularly in that case.' Trump went on to call it "inappropriate" that the two had appeared amused together during what he characterised as a significant part of the proceedings. Other Republican figures echoed the criticism: Senator Ted Cruz questioned publicly how anyone could laugh while the names of murdered Americans were being recited, while Representative Wesley Hunt argued that Ground Zero was 'sacred ground' and not a venue for politics. Commentator Meghan McCain and New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov also condemned the pair, with Vernikov noting that Mamdani had faced pleas from victims' families not to attend at all.
The row followed weeks of tension between Mamdani and relatives of 9/11 victims, some of whom had campaigned for him to stay away from the anniversary entirely. A petition calling on the mayor to skip the event attracted well over 100,000 signatures, and former New York Governor George Pataki was among those who publicly urged him not to take part. Mamdani nonetheless confirmed he would attend, saying beforehand that he wanted attention to remain on the families who had lost loved ones a quarter of a century earlier. Separately, he drew further criticism this week after passing on a ceremonial pen from the remembrance service to a lawyer who had previously represented a convicted al-Qaeda member and whose sibling was among the 2001 hijackers, adding to an already fraught backdrop heading into the ceremony.
Not every account of the moment was uniformly hostile, however. One report noted that Michael Ragusa, who has been part of former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's circle, pushed back on the suggestion that Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez had been making light of the ceremony itself, disputing the interpretation that quickly took hold online. Coverage also diverged on points of detail and emphasis: one outlet placed weight on Trump's remarks and the separate pen-giving controversy involving Mamdani, while another gave more space to the range of Republican voices condemning the pair, cited a slightly higher petition figure of over 110,000 signatures, and noted that actor Robert De Niro had separately defended Mamdani's decision to attend the memorial despite unrelated criticism of his policing comments.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Petition signature totals differ slightly: one source cites 'over 100,000', the other 'more than 110,000'.
Source 1 gives more prominence to Trump's own quotes and to the separate controversy over Mamdani handing a ceremonial pen to a lawyer linked to a 9/11 hijacker's family.
Source 2 features a wider cast of critics (Wesley Hunt, Meghan McCain, Inna Vernikov) and includes a dissenting voice — Michael Ragusa — disputing that the pair were mocking the ceremony, plus a passing mention of Robert De Niro defending Mamdani.
Only Source 2 mentions the 1993 World Trade Center bombing victims being honoured alongside 2001 victims, and references a widow's separate remarks about Saudi Arabia.
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
Those who share Trump's criticism argue that solemnity at a memorial for nearly three thousand people who died is not a matter of personal taste but a basic expression of respect owed to grieving families, and that elected officials in particular have a duty to model that gravity. Being filmed laughing while victims' names are being read, whatever the private joke, risks signalling indifference to a nation still marking the anniversary, and critics say public figures should simply hold their composure for the duration of such a ceremony regardless of what amused them.
The case against
Mamdani's defenders point out that he attended the ceremony at all despite a well-organised campaign, including a six-figure petition, urging him to stay away, and argue that showing up to honour the victims and their families is itself a meaningful act of respect. A brief, unguarded moment of laughter between two colleagues, caught on camera and stripped of whatever context prompted it, they say, is being used in bad faith by political opponents to manufacture outrage and question the sincerity of leaders whose politics they already oppose, rather than reflecting any genuine disrespect for the day.
Explained simply
Trump condemns Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez for laughter at 9/11 memorial
Every year, victims' relatives gather in lower Manhattan to mark the September 11 2001 attacks, reading aloud the names of the nearly 3,000 people killed. This year's event was the 25th anniversary. Zohran Mamdani, New York City's mayor, and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, a Democratic congresswoman representing parts of New York, both attended.
Mamdani had already drawn criticism before the ceremony even began, after a petition signed by more than 100,000 people, and backed by former Governor George Pataki, urged him to stay away, and 9/11 victims' groups raised objections to his presence.
Coverage · 2 sources
Bias meters
From 2 rated sources.
Art Culture Government Politics World
Read the full article at the source →
Originally published by Daily Mail as “Trump slams Mamdani and AOC for laughing during 9/11 memorial at ‘very important part of the ceremony’”.