Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani are facing criticism after cameras captured them smiling and laughing during the solemn 25th anniversary ceremony commemorating the September 11 terrorist attacks.
The moment occurred Friday at Ground Zero in Lower Manhattan, where victims' families, survivors, first responders and political leaders gathered to remember the nearly 3,000 people killed on September 11, 2001.
Video from the ceremony showed Ocasio-Cortez smiling and appearing to laugh while speaking with Mamdani as relatives were reading the names of those who lost their lives. The footage quickly spread online and triggered angry reactions from critics who accused the two politicians of behaving inappropriately at such a solemn event.
Among those criticizing the pair were Sen. Ted Cruz, former The View host Meghan McCain and New York City Councilwoman Inna Vernikov.
The controversy came during an especially emotional anniversary. This year marked 25 years since hijacked planes struck the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania.
At Ground Zero, relatives once again took turns reading aloud the names of all 2,977 people killed on September 11, along with the six victims of the 1993 World Trade Center bombing. Several moments of silence were also observed throughout the ceremony.
However, at least one person who said he was standing near Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani pushed back against the outrage.
Michael Ragusa, who previously served as former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's head of security, said the viral footage lacked context. According to Ragusa, the camera caught Ocasio-Cortez greeting Mamdani, and other politicians from both parties were also seen smiling and talking during interactions at the ceremony.
Mamdani's presence at the memorial had already become politically contentious before Friday's event. Some relatives of 9/11 victims had publicly urged him not to attend, but the mayor went ahead with his appearance.
Earlier in September, Mamdani also participated in an FDNY memorial ceremony honoring firefighters who died from illnesses linked to their service following the attacks. He described attending the event as a "solemn privilege" and spoke about the sacrifices made by first responders.
The main Ground Zero ceremony brought together an unusually broad group of political leaders, including Vice President JD Vance and former Presidents Bill Clinton, George W. Bush, Barack Obama and Joe Biden.
For Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani, however, a brief moment captured on camera has become one of the most politically charged images to emerge from this year's commemoration.