Video captured Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani laughing together as a 9/11 victim’s name was read aloud.
The footage, which spread rapidly on X, shows the congresswoman and New York City mayor standing side by side at Ground Zero during the 25th anniversary memorial ceremony in Lower Manhattan last Friday. Around them, relatives of the fallen quietly performed one of the most solemn rituals in American public life, reading the names of those killed in the September 11 terrorist attacks.
As originally reported, a victim’s name could be heard over the loudspeaker when Mamdani leaned toward Ocasio-Cortez and the two exchanged words. Both then broke into visible smiles and appeared to laugh. After the moment passed, the pair redirected their attention toward the ongoing ceremony.
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Both Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani are progressive Democrats. The video drew significant attention online given the setting and the gravity of the occasion being observed around them.
