Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez at the 9/11 ceremony
A four-second video clip of New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez smiling and greeting each other during the reading of victims' names at the 25th-anniversary 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero drew sharp criticism from Republicans including Sen. Ted Cruz and Meghan McCain, who called the moment disrespectful. Attendees pushed back: Michael Ragusa, described as former head of security for ex-Mayor Rudy Giuliani, said he stood next to the two politicians throughout the ceremony and that the footage simply showed Ocasio-Cortez greeting Mamdani, adding that other politicians nearby - both Republican and Democrat - were also talking and laughing. Former state Assemblymember Yuh-Line Niou, a longtime attendee of the annual ceremony, said mourners routinely greet, hug and share memories during the event, and noted Mamdani stayed through the entire reading of names and remained afterward to speak with victims' families for 45 minutes.