Video: NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani & Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Spark Outrage After Laughing During 9/11 Ceremony

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Democratic Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez faced sharp criticism after they were seen smiling and appearing to laugh during the solemn reading of the names of 9/11 victims at Ground Zero on Friday, as the United States marked the 25th anniversary of the terrorist attacks.

The two prominent New York Democrats were shown together in a live feed from the anniversary ceremony, appearing to share a light moment as the names of those killed in the attacks were being read out. The footage was juxtaposed with emotional scenes from the ceremony, including a man visibly grieving as friends and family members remembered loved ones who died on September 11, 2001.

Trump Remembers 9/11 Victims, Recalls US Unity

US President Donald Trump attended the main Pentagon commemoration alongside first lady Melania Trump. The names of the 184 people killed at the Pentagon were read aloud during the ceremony, with a bell sounded after each name.

Remembering the victims, Trump said the attacks had strengthened America's determination to protect its people and confront threats to its security.

"We will never, ever forget," Trump said. "That's why we fight today. We don't have a choice."

Trump also recalled the sense of unity that emerged across the country in the aftermath of the attacks, describing it as an extraordinary period of national solidarity.

"In those harrowing days after the attacks, we saw the authentic spirit of our nation," Trump said. "We were all New Yorkers that day. Every one of us. We were all New Yorkers. We were all family."

The Pentagon ceremony marked Trump's second consecutive 9/11 anniversary observance at the site. Trump, who was born in New York, had attended the commemoration at Ground Zero in 2024.

Vice President JD Vance attended the New York ceremony alongside former presidents and other prominent figures, while a separate memorial was held in Shanksville to honour the passengers and crew of United Airlines Flight 93. The passengers attempted to overpower the hijackers before the plane crashed, killing everyone on board.

Trump Links 9/11 Legacy To Iran War

The anniversary ceremony also became a backdrop for Trump to draw a connection between the September 11 attacks and the United States' ongoing war with Iran. Trump praised American troops involved in the conflict and repeated his warning that Iran must not be allowed to develop nuclear weapons.

He described Tehran as the world's leading state sponsor of terrorism and praised US personnel involved in preventing Iran from obtaining a nuclear weapon.

He saluted American personnel "working right now to ensure the world's No. 1 sponsor of terror - the Islamic Republic of Iran - will never, ever have a nuclear weapon."

(With Inputs From Agencies)