Days after Rudy Giuliani suggested Zohran Mamdani skip the 9/11 ceremony, he is seen shaking his hands

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani was among those who opposed New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s presence at the 9/11 ceremony held on Friday. According to The Guardian, speaking to Newmax ahead of the ceremony, Giuliani, referring to Mamdani’s presence at the event, allegedly said, “Having lost friends there and being very close to many of the families, it offends me that he’s coming.”

Despite Giuliani’s criticism and a few others who opposed his presence during the ceremony, Mamdani attended the 9/11 ceremony and instantly became the subject of criticism. One of the things that made headlines from the event, pertaining to Mamdani, was a clip that was widely circulated on social media in which Mamdani and United States Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were seen sharing a laugh (some would say a giggle) while an individual on the podium was reading the names of the people affected by the 9/11 attacks.

Another social media clip that gained significant momentum online showed Giuliani and Mamdani greeting each other with a handshake, with Giuliani seemingly sharing a few words with Mamdani. Lip reader Nicola Hickling told Mirror US that Giuliani said, “I’m praying for you, it’s been a long time.” While lip reading is never 100% accurate, the video suggests Giuliani and Mamdani greeted each other cordially, showing how political opponents can remain formal despite disagreements.

Rudy Giuliani aide shuts down people criticizing Mamdani for laughing during 9/11 event

It appears that everyone is being moved by Mamdani’s infectious laugh and irresistible charm. First, it was President Donald Trump. Now it’s Giuliani and also apparently his former head of security, Michael Ragusa. Responding to social media chatter about AOC and Mamdani’s conduct during the 9/11 ceremony, Ragusa clarified that the moment captured in the video was only a fraction of their interaction, noting it was taken at the time they greeted each other.

Ragusa wrote, “The videos of @NYCMayor and @AOC laughing are not true. I was standing next to them the whole time. The camera just caught her greeting him hello. Multiple other politicians were laughing and joking behind me. Republicans and Democrats.” Ragusa later offered clarification on his comments, highlighting that he has been a “lifelong Republican” and has been critical of AOC and Mamdani in the past. However, he noted that he spoke up because he was “just sick of this fake news and people just saying whatever they want.”

Have a tip we should know? [email protected]