Full Breakdown
NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani Faces Backlash Over 9/11 Post Ahead of Commemoration
9/5/2026, 8:13:13 AM
The controversy resurfacing
A 2023 X post by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani that linked the attacks to the wars that followed has resurfaced as the city prepares for its annual 9/11 ceremony. Critics argue the wording downplays the perpetrators of the attacks and uses the solemn day to promote a broader anti-war agenda. A Change.org petition signed by several victims’ families asks organizers to reconsider Mamdani’s participation, questioning whether his presence aligns with the ceremony’s intent.
Political and personal backdrop
Mamdani, a self-identified socialist, drew additional ire after interviewing commentator Hasan Piker, who in 2019 said “America deserved 9/11.” Mamdani initially declined to condemn the remark but later labeled it “objectionable and reprehensible.” The combination of the interview and the 2023 post has intensified scrutiny from conservative officials and former officials who view his planned attendance as disrespectful to victims and first responders.
Official statements & responses
Vance and former presidents. He has also publicly denounced Piker’s past comment. Fox News reached out to Mamdani’s office for comment but did not receive a response before publication.
Criticism & opposition
- Marc Thiessen, former White House speechwriter, called Mamdani’s potential presence “absolutely disgraceful,” urging that he be met with a “Bronx cheer” and leave the site in shame.
- Florida Rep. Randy Fine labeled the mayor “in bed with Muslim terrorists” and warned the city would not forget his alleged sympathies.
- Retired Port Authority officials warned Mamdani to stay away, accusing him of “moral equivalency” and “parlor communism.”
- A petition organized by victims’ families formally requests that organizers reconsider his participation.
Verbatim quotes
- “Nearly 3,000 New Yorkers died in the attacks; 22 years later, the death hasn't stopped. We mourn our neighbors who died that day. The hundreds of thousands who died in the wars that followed. The unknown millions injured & displaced. In their memory, we work toward a better world,” — Zohran Mamdani, york city mayor
- “As someone who was in the Pentagon when the planes hit, this is absolutely disgraceful. You have no business ever setting foot at Ground Zero, much less on 9/11. If you dare show up, I hope you are greeted with such a Bronx cheer that you slink away in shame,” — Marc Thiessen
- “Nearly 25 years later, NYC’s Mayor is in bed with Muslim terrorists and refuses to call out evil for what it is. Unfortunately, it seems the city forgot when they elected Jihadi Mamdani mayor. But we never will,” — Florida Rep. Randy Fine
- “Americans were MURDERED by TERRORISTS in the most horrific way,” — Rep. Nancy Mace
These statements illustrate the sharp divide between the mayor’s intent to honor 9/11 victims and the vehement opposition from conservative politicians, former officials, and some families of the deceased.
