AOC and Mamdani Face Backlash After Being Seen Laughing During 9/11 Memorial
NEW YORK — New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez are facing criticism after video from Friday's 25th-anniversary 9/11 memorial ceremony appeared to show the two smiling and laughing while the names of victims were being read at the World Trade Center site.
The ceremony at Ground Zero was held to commemorate the nearly 3,000 people killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Family members of victims participated in the traditional reading of the names during the solemn ceremony.
Video circulating online shows Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani together during the name-reading portion of the ceremony. The pair can be seen smiling and appearing to share a brief laugh while the ceremony continues around them.
The footage quickly drew criticism online, with critics questioning why the two appeared to be laughing during one of the most solemn portions of the annual commemoration.
Former television personality Meghan McCain publicly questioned the interaction, asking why the two were laughing during the ceremony. Other political figures also criticized the appearance, including Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis, who characterized the scene as inappropriate.
The controversy centers on the appearance of the interaction, rather than any established evidence that either politician was laughing at the victims or making jokes about the September 11 attacks. The available footage does not establish what the two were discussing or what prompted the smiles.
Michael Ragusa, a former member of former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani's security detail who attended the ceremony, said he was standing near Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani. Ragusa disputed the interpretation circulating online, saying the camera captured Ocasio-Cortez greeting Mamdani and that other politicians nearby were also talking and laughing.
That explanation, however, does not change what is visible in the circulated footage: Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani are shown smiling and appearing to laugh during the ceremony while the names of 9/11 victims were being read.
Mamdani's attendance at the ceremony had already generated controversy. Some relatives of 9/11 victims had publicly objected to his presence and urged him not to attend. Despite those objections, Mamdani attended Friday's Ground Zero ceremony alongside national, state and city officials.
The 2026 ceremony marked 25 years since the attacks and included moments of silence and the reading of victims' names. The event brought together current and former national leaders, along with victims' families and New York officials, for the annual remembrance.
What the video shows
Confirmed:
Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani attended the 9/11 memorial ceremony at Ground Zero.
Video shows the two together during the reading of the victims' names.
They appear to smile and laugh briefly.
The interaction generated significant public criticism.
There is no verified evidence from the footage establishing that they were laughing at the victims or making jokes about the attacks.
The incident has become one of the more contentious moments surrounding this year's 9/11 commemoration, with the debate focused largely on whether their demeanor was appropriate for the occasion.
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