President Donald J. Trump weighed in on New York City’s two socialist superstars having a good old time at Friday’s 9/11 remembrance ceremony.
A brief video clip of Democrat Big Apple Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez (D-NY) enjoying a moment of mirth as the names of the victims were solemnly being read off sparked outrage from Republicans and on social media.
Mamdani and AOC are spotted laughing with each other as people cry while the names of those who died are read during the 9/11 Memorial in New York City. pic.twitter.com/Ib5lm57fmV
— Greg Price (@greg_price11) September 11, 2026
In the footage, AOC and the Ugandan-born Muslim are seen yukking it up as a family member of one of those killed in the deadliest terror attack on U.S. soil is shown sobbing; it was a thoroughly gross performance from the mayor of America’s biggest city and a woman who many are hyping as the 2028 Democratic Party frontrunner.
When asked by a reporter about the Democrat duo before he departed Ireland on Sunday, Trump expressed his own disgust at the unseemly display at Ground Zero.
.@POTUS reacts to AOC and Mamdani on video laughing during last week’s the 9/11 memorial ceremony: “I think it’s terrible… The fact that they were laughing together in a very important part of the ceremony was inappropriate.” pic.twitter.com/x1i35aJldz
— Rapid Response 47 (@RapidResponse47) September 13, 2026
The reporter asked, “When you see that video of AOC and Mamdani laughing at the 9/11 ceremony in New York, what were your thoughts?”
“I think it’s terrible. It’s not a place to be laughing, especially in that case. I thought it was terrible,” Trump responded. “The fact that they were laughing together in a very important part of the ceremony was inappropriate.”
Despite being asked to keep away from the ceremony on the hallowed day, Mamdani refused to respect the wishes of those who said that his presence would be inappropriate and ended up with a public relations hot mess.
Another top Republican who slammed Hizzoner and the “Squad” leader was Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas), who asked the obvious in a Friday post on X.
How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud?
Why would you do so? https://t.co/gOec2hA8Lo
— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) September 11, 2026
“How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud?” Cruz wrote. “Why would you do so?”
It isn’t clear what the two Democrats were snickering about, but the optics couldn’t be worse for Mamdani, who could have spared himself from the uproar had he simply stayed away as many had implored him to do.
Last week, New York City Councilwoman Vickie Paladino unloaded on Mamdani with both barrels, suggesting that the controversial passing of a pen to a known terrorist’s attorney after Mamdani signed a 9/11-related executive order was a “message” to terrorist mastermind Osama bin Laden.
“I hate to even say this,” she told Fox News host Laura Ingraham. “But you know, it’s a message to Osama bin Laden that, look, ‘We conquered New York.’”
“I’m not asking politely for the mayor not to come to 9/11, to that ceremony; I am asking, I am demanding, he not show his face at that sacred ground. He does not belong there,” she said at a rally at City Hall.
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