Lipreader reveals what Rudy Giuliani told Zohran Mamdani during awkward 9/11 handshake
NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Former Mayor Rudy Giuliani and Mayor Zohran Mamdani shared an awkward but civil moment at the 9/11 memorial ceremony on Friday, September 11, with a lipreader revealing what Giuliani appeared to say during their handshake.
The brief exchange came just days after Giuliani had publicly criticized Mamdani and said the mayor should skip the memorial services. Despite that, the two men shook hands at Ground Zero, with Giuliani appearing to offer a surprisingly personal message.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was seen shaking hands with former Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who led the city during the 9/11 attacks, at the 25th anniversary remembrance ceremony. pic.twitter.com/3T1CGyEErq
— Fox News (@FoxNews) September 11, 2026
Lipreader reveals what Rudy Giuliani told Zohran Mamdani
According to UK-based expert lipreader Jeremy Freeman, Giuliani told Mamdani, “I prayed for you,” as they shook hands.
Freeman also said Giuliani followed the greeting with “Good job. OK.”
The exchange appeared brief, but their body language drew attention as the two New York political figures stood face-to-face during the solemn ceremony.
Body language expert and behavior analyst Traci Brown told The Post that Giuliani’s expression changed during the handshake.
“Giuliani’s eyebrows [are] up in recognition and acknowledgment. But his frown grows the longer they shake hands. So he’s not happy about the connection,” Brown said after watching footage of the interaction.
Brown also analyzed Mamdani’s movements during the moment.
“Mamdani is leaning in and wants to connect. After he’s not feeling so good about it. And works to counteract that feeling by making himself confident. That’s what the hand on his hip is,” she said.
Rudy Giuliani urged Zohran Mamdani to skip 9/11 memorials
The seemingly polite exchange came after Giuliani, 82, had sharply criticized Mamdani over his plans to attend the 9/11 memorial.
During a Newsmax interview on Sunday, Giuliani claimed Mamdani “doesn’t agree that September 11 was an Islamic terrorist attack on the United States of America.”
He then said Mamdani’s attendance at the memorial services “offends me.”
Giuliani’s comments came ahead of the ceremony where he would eventually meet Mamdani in person.
Zohran Mamdani appeared to take a dig at Rudy Giuliani
Mamdani had also made comments earlier in the week that appeared to reference the handling of the aftermath of the September 11 attacks without directly naming Giuliani.
On Tuesday, as City Hall released 170,000 previously hidden documents on air quality risks following the attacks, Mamdani said, “People got sick because the leaders they trusted lied and told them they were safe to breathe in toxic air.”
Giuliani was mayor of New York City during the September 11, 2001, terror attacks.
Against that backdrop, the brief handshake between Giuliani and Mamdani became a notable moment during Friday’s memorial ceremony.
