Fact Check: Did Mamdani refuse to applaud at Sgt. Angel Rampersad's funeral?
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: After New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was reportedly denied the opportunity to speak at the funeral of Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad, a video began circulating online claiming to show Mamdani refusing to applaud during the funeral. The video has garnered criticism and speculation from online users, prompting a fact-check.
Claim: Zohran Mamdani refused to clap at Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad's funeral
The viral video claims to show Mamdani refusing to applaud while everyone did, during the funeral service of Sgt. Rampersad at a church in Ozone Park in Queens, after he was reportedly denied the opportunity to speak on Friday, July 31.
Rampersad was one of the three US service members killed in Jordan during an Iranian attack on July 17.
The 10-second clip shows an indoor audience seated in rows on a red-carpeted floor with people dressed in formal suits and military uniforms. Everyone except Mamdani was seen clapping.
The clip drew criticism of the mayor, suggesting that many believe the clip to be real, while others questioned its authenticity.
Fact Check: The video is AI-generated
The video, however, is fake and made using Artificial Intelligence. The clip even includes common signs of being generated using AI, including hand anomalies, garbled names, uniform errors, etc.
The post that originally posted the video was accompanied by a disclaimer, which is not visible until the caption is expanded by clicking "Show more."
The video was also accompanied by a label under it stating, “Made with AI.”
The original video of the funeral available on YouTube shows virtually the same scene as in the viral clip, but the authentic video image is not as clear as the AI-enhanced image.
Zohran Mamdani barred from speaking at Sgt. Angel Rampersad's funeral
The video surfaced after Mamdani was denied the opportunity to speak at the funeral. According to a report by The New York Post, Mamdani appeared to review prepared remarks on an iPad as other dignitaries spoke, but his name was never called.
A source familiar with the funeral told the outlet that Rampersad's family chose not to have Mamdani speak in an effort to avoid any "political distractions."
However, the Mayor’s office later released his prepared remarks.
"It is often said that our fallen 'gave their tomorrows for our today,'" Mamdani planned to say.
"Sergeant Rampersad had tomorrows waiting for her: birthdays, ordinary mornings, evenings spent with her loved ones. But she gave every one of them up so that we could have ours — so that we could stand here today, safe and protected."
