NYC Mayor Mamdani to attend 9/11 ceremony amid backlash

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has confirmed his intention to attend the 25th anniversary commemoration ceremony at Ground Zero on Friday, September 11, 2026, despite calls from prominent former city leaders and a petition signed by tens of thousands urging him to stay away. The controversy centers on Mamdani's past political associations and statements, which critics argue make his presence inappropriate for the solemn occasion. Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani has been particularly vocal, stating that Mamdani's attendance "offends me." Giuliani, who led the city in the aftermath of the 2001 attacks, accused Mamdani of supporting radical Muslim ideologies and a plot to dominate the United States, though he offered no evidence for these claims. Giuliani also suggested Mamdani does not fully acknowledge the nature of the 9/11 attacks as an act of Islamic terrorism. Former New York Governor George Pataki has also urged Mamdani to skip the ceremony, citing the mayor's proximity to figures who have made controversial statements about America and the attacks, including streamer Hasan Piker and the phrase "globalize the intifada.