A video published this Thursday on X by journalist Collin Rugg sparked intense controversy by showing New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez smiling and chatting during the 25th anniversary ceremony of 9/11 at Ground Zero, at the exact moment when the names of the victims were being read.
The 44-second clip shows how the camera shifts from focusing on a man who was crying while listening to the names to capturing the exchange between the two politicians.
Rugg described the scene as follows: "Zohran Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were seen laughing while people were crying during the annual reading of names at the 9/11 memorial ceremony."
The video garnered over 2.5 million views in just a few hours, dividing public opinion between those who deemed the behavior inappropriate and those who argued that the clip lacked context.
The president Donald Trump, when questioned by journalists during a visit to Ireland, did not hesitate to describe the moment as "terrible" and "inappropriate," stating that "it is not a place to laugh."
CNN obtained the full video from the media pool and reported that the viral clip did not show the complete scene, although it does not deny that expressions of affection between the two politicians occurred during the reading of the names of the deceased. According to the report, the exchange was a brief greeting and hug before both resumed a neutral expression.
"Mamdani stands solemnly as the names of the attack victims are read, before briefly greeting the congresswoman. Ocasio-Cortez approaches the mayor, places her hand on his elbow, and they exchange smiles and a brief hug, as shown in the video. They then share a few words, and Mamdani hugs her briefly. The mayor, smiling, says something to Ocasio-Cortez, who beams broadly. They then stand side by side as the reading of the names continues...", reports CNN.
The presence of Mamdani at the ceremony was already controversial long before the incident. Families of 9/11 victims launched a petition in July asking to prevent him from attending the event, arguing that his presence would be disrespectful. The petition exceeded 100,000 signatures and was delivered to City Hall on September 8.
Mamdani, who had missed the memorial for the 1993 World Trade Center bombing to travel to Washington to meet with Trump about housing, challenged the request and attended the 25th anniversary event, insisting that he wanted to honor the victims, survivors, and first responders.
The ceremony for the 25th anniversary at Ground Zero, attended by the four living former presidents - Clinton, Bush, Obama, and Biden - along with Vice President J.D. Vance representing the Trump administration, included for the first time a seventh minute of silence, dedicated to those who have passed away due to illnesses related to exposure to the toxic ashes of Ground Zero.
Days before the ceremony, the Mamdani administration had released over 170,000 pages of unpublished documents regarding air quality in Ground Zero, which revealed that the municipal authorities in 2001 knew the air was hazardous while publicly communicating the opposite. This constituted a revelation of significant symbolic weight just hours before the anniversary.
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