Fact Check: Are Mamdani and AOC banned from future 9/11 ceremonies after giggling during event?

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Amid the backlash after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Rep Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were allegedly caught giggling during the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, a rumor began circulating online, claiming that they are banned from attending future ceremonies.

The claim has sparked speculation and prompted a fact-check.

Claim: Zohran Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez banned from future 9/11 events

According to a viral Facebook post, the National September 11 Memorial & Museum has formally disinvited Ocasio-Cortez and Mayor Mamdani from all future commemorative events after the two politicians were caught giggling during this year’s anniversary ceremony, which the memorial described as “disrespecting the solemnity of the occasion.” 

“This is about preserving the dignity of the memorial,” Commission spokesperson Jeb Narroo allegedly said. “When individuals demonstrate that they cannot comport themselves with the gravity these ceremonies deserve, we have a responsibility to the families to ensure they are not present.” 

As the post gained traction, it received mixed reactions from online users, with many praising the alleged move, indicating that they believe the claim to be true, while a few others questioned its authenticity.

Fact Check: The claim originated as satire

Although the two were indeed caught in an apparently lighthearted moment during the 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero, as victims’ relatives gathered to honor those they had lost, there is no evidence that the commission banned them from future 9/11 events.

There are no publicly available statements, announcements, or press releases the supports the claim and the remarks attributed to it.

If the claim was true, it would have been widely covered by prominent media outlets, making headlines, but a search on Google for the claim yielded no such media reports. 

Moreover, the claim originated from a popular Facebook parody account called ‘America’s Last Line Of Defense,’ which describes itself in the bio as ‘Nothing on this page is real.’

Zohran Mamdani and Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez seen giggling at Ground Zero event

Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez were among the political figures attending Friday’s ceremony, where relatives of those killed in the attacks took part in the annual reading of the victims’ names. 

Footage from the scene appeared to show Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez smiling and giggling together, while members of the victims’ families could be seen crying as the names of their loved ones were announced.

The ceremony was also attended by Vice President JD Vance and all four former Presidents, including Bill Clinton, George W Bush, Barack Obama, and Joe Biden.