Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Zohran Mamdani Share Tense Moment at 9/11 Memorial
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and former Mayor Rudy Giuliani shared a tense handshake and brief exchange during the 25th anniversary 9/11 remembrance ceremony at Ground Zero, according to reporting by the Daily Mail. The encounter on Friday morning followed a bitter public dispute over Mamdani’s attendance at the solemn commemoration.
A Tense Exchange at the Memorial Plaza
Giuliani, 82, and Mamdani, 34, encountered each other on the Memorial Plaza in Manhattan as leaders and families gathered to mark a quarter-century since the September 11 terrorist attacks. According to professional lip reader Nicola Hickling, as reported by the Daily Mail, Giuliani told his mayoral successor, “I’m praying for you, it’s been a long time.” Mamdani, whose face was obscured from cameras during the moment, seemingly offered a brief reply before releasing Giuliani’s hand to greet other attendees.
Background of the Public Spat
The greeting marked a stark contrast to the sharp political conflict between the two figures earlier in the week. Giuliani, who served as mayor during the 2001 attacks, publicly stated that it offended him for Mamdani—the city’s first Muslim mayor—to participate in the anniversary service. Giuliani told Newsmax that Mamdani stood in direct support of the movement that killed the victims’ children, arguing the current mayor’s presence disturbed families observing the milestone.
The friction between the current and former administrations has also played out across public records. Following political clashes, Mamdani’s administration released hundreds of thousands of previously unseen records. According to the Daily Mail, those documents appeared to confirm that Giuliani’s administration was aware of the toxic dangers surrounding the city’s air quality in the aftermath of the September 11 attacks.
Ceremony Attendees and National Observances
Friday’s ceremony in Manhattan brought together prominent national figures, including President Joe Biden, Jill Biden, former President George W. Bush, Laura Bush, and former New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg. Vice President JD Vance also attended the Ground Zero observance, where he shook hands with Giuliani and shared a brief conversation prior to the formal proceedings, as reported by the Daily Mail.
President Donald Trump did not attend the New York City memorial service, opting instead to deliver a speech at the Pentagon. Trump’s team had conducted advance visits to the Manhattan museum with the intention of speaking there, but ultimately decided against it after he was not permitted to deliver remarks. Other administration officials went to the Flight 93 National Memorial in Pennsylvania.