Trump Calls AOC and Mamdani’s Lighthearted Moment at 9/11 Ceremony ‘Terrible’ and ‘Inappropriate’
President Donald Trump criticized Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani after video showed the two smiling and appearing to share a lighthearted exchange during Friday’s 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
Trump addressed the footage while speaking with reporters before leaving Ireland on Sunday. He called the moment “terrible” and argued that the solemn Ground Zero ceremony was not an appropriate setting for laughter.
“I think it’s terrible,” Trump said. “It’s not a place to be laughing, especially in that case.” He added that he considered their behavior inappropriate because the exchange occurred during an important portion of the ceremony.
The widely circulated video showed Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani smiling while speaking to each other as relatives of 9/11 victims were reading names during the annual remembrance. The footage did not contain audible conversation between the two, leaving the reason for their exchange unclear.
The clip quickly generated criticism from Republican politicians and conservative commentators. Sen. Ted Cruz of Texas was among those questioning the exchange, arguing that laughter was inappropriate while the names of people killed in the attacks were being read.
However, Michael Ragusa, who previously worked with former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, disputed claims that the video showed the pair laughing at victims or their families. Ragusa said he was standing near them and that the camera captured Ocasio-Cortez greeting Mamdani, adding that politicians from both parties shared light moments during the lengthy event.
Mamdani attended the Ground Zero commemoration for the first time as mayor and remained through the entire ceremony. He also spoke with victims’ relatives and later delivered remarks at an interfaith memorial service, where he described September 11 as the darkest day in New York City’s history and honored the victims and first responders.
The annual Ground Zero ceremony marked 25 years since al Qaeda terrorists hijacked four passenger planes on September 11, 2001. Nearly 3,000 people were killed in attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and aboard United Airlines Flight 93, which crashed in Pennsylvania.
Trump attended the anniversary observance at the Pentagon rather than the ceremony in New York. Vice President JD Vance joined former presidents and other political leaders at Ground Zero as victims’ relatives continued the tradition of reading aloud the names of those who died.
The controversy surrounding Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani centers on differing interpretations of the brief video. Trump and other critics have characterized the moment as inappropriate, while an eyewitness near the pair has said the footage lacked important context and did not show them mocking the victims or the ceremony.