Republican leaders urge New York mayor to skip 9/11 remembrance ceremony
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Several Republican officials have called on Mayor Zohran Mamdani to stay away from the 25th-anniversary commemoration at Ground Zero, citing political and policy concerns, while the mayor plans to attend and honor victims.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani, New York City’s first Muslim mayor, said he will attend the 25th-anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero to honor the nearly 3,000 victims of the September 11 attacks and the thousands who later suffered related illnesses. The mayor has been touring firehouses, unveiling tributes and designating the day as the city’s first official “Day of Remembrance and Service.”
Former city mayor Rudy Giuliani told reporters the mayor’s presence “offends” him, and former governor George Pataki urged Mamdani to stay away. Governor-candidate Bruce Blakeman said he would turn his back if the mayor appears. Their comments followed a petition signed by more than 100,000 people, including some victims’ families, requesting that Mamdani be excluded so the ceremony can focus on “remembrance, unity and an unambiguous rejection of the violence and extremism that defined that day.”
Mamdani, who announced the release of over 170,000 documents showing city officials had misled the public about post-attack air quality, declined to name any individual for criticism, stating that judgment would be left to the public. He emphasized his personal connection to the tragedy, noting he was nine years old in 2001 and has spent the weeks before the anniversary meeting with first-responders and families.
City Councilwoman Shahana Hanif, the first Muslim woman elected to the council, said the mayor’s treatment appears to be motivated by his faith. "It’s concerning that the mayor is being treated differently simply because he is Muslim," she told reporters.
Critics also pointed to Mamdani’s past association with left-wing commentator Hasan Piker, who previously described the United States as deserving the attacks. Mamdani has called Piker’s remarks “objectionable and reprehensible.”
Vice President JD Vance, who has criticized Mamdani for “no gratitude” toward America, is scheduled to attend the ceremony, while President Donald Trump is not expected to be present.
The ceremony will proceed as in prior years, with officials gathering under a tent in the plaza, reading the names of the deceased and observing moments of silence.