President Donald Trump has condemned New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez for their actions during a September 11th commemoration ceremony at Ground Zero. Speaking to reporters before boarding Air Force One in Ireland, Trump described the incident as “terrible,” emphasizing that it was inappropriate to laugh while names of victims were being read aloud.
The video clip, which went viral on Friday, captured Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez smiling and laughing together during the 25th anniversary ceremony. Trump reiterated: “It’s not a place to be laughing, especially in that case.”
Mamdani attended the event despite public appeals from former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani to stay away. The incident follows Trump’s previous attendance at a similar memorial with President Biden and Vice President Kamala Harris in September 2024. This week, Trump chose to hold his own commemoration ceremony at the Pentagon rather than participate in the New York event.
