New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and New York Governor Kathy Hochul have been urged to stay away from the 25th anniversary 9/11 commemoration at Ground Zero, after retired Port Authority police officers said their presence would cause "deep pain" to victims' families. John McDevitt, president of the Port Authority Retired Police Association, wrote separate letters to both Democrats, citing concerns over Mamdani's past language about the attacks and Hochul's decision to illuminate One World Trade Center for Muslim American Heritage Month.

McDevitt's letter to Mamdani referenced a 2023 statement in which the mayor, then a state assemblyman, said "New Yorkers died on 9/11" rather than describing them as murdered, which critics said minimised the tragedy; he suggested Mamdani issue a statement or attend a separate event instead. In his letter to Hochul, McDevitt called her World Trade Center lighting decision "insensitive, tone-deaf" and said she had "forfeited" her right to attend. Hochul's office rejected the demand, saying she would "proudly stand alongside" victims' families at the ceremony, while Mamdani, who attended last year's event and met King Charles, had not responded. Republican gubernatorial candidate Bruce Blakeman also weighed in, calling the situation "deeply unfortunate".