Mamdani says he will 'reaffirm that we will never forget that day'

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani [Getty Images]
Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani [Getty Images]

Rudy Giuliani, who served as New York City mayor during the Sept. 11 attacks, has publicly objected to current Mayor Zohran Mamdani's plan to attend the 25th anniversary commemoration of the attacks.

According to The New York Times, Giuliani appeared Monday on Newsmax, a conservative outlet with pro-Trump leanings, and called Mamdani's plan to attend the Sept. 11 ceremony in New York "offensive."

The New York Times added that Giuliani's remarks included an unsubstantiated claim that Mamdani supports an Islamist plot to "take over" parts of the United States and Europe.

An online petition driven largely by conservatives is calling for Mamdani to stay away from the ceremony. The number of signatories is approaching 100,000.

Mamdani had earlier said he would "join the families, survivors and first responders at this year's Sept. 11 commemoration to honor them," adding, "We will reaffirm that we will never forget that day."

Trump to attend Pentagon memorial ceremony

The United States plans to hold large-scale commemorations at three attack sites for the 25th anniversary of Sept. 11: Ground Zero in lower Manhattan, the Pentagon near Washington, D.C., and Shanksville, Pennsylvania, according to the National September 11 Memorial & Museum and other event announcements.

Ground Zero marks the site of the former World Trade Center, destroyed in the 2001 attacks. The Pentagon is where American Airlines Flight 77 crashed, and Shanksville is where United Airlines Flight 93 went down.

At Ground Zero, where the greatest number of lives were lost, the official ceremony will begin at 8:30 a.m.

Six moments of silence will be observed, beginning at 8:46 a.m. — when the first plane struck the North Tower of the WTC — and continuing at the times of the second plane's impact on the South Tower, the Pentagon strike, the South Tower's collapse, the crash of United Airlines Flight 93 in Pennsylvania, and the North Tower's collapse.

This year, an additional moment of silence will be held to honor those who later died from illnesses and injuries sustained during rescue and recovery operations.

The reading of names will follow, concluding around 1 p.m. with a performance of "Taps."

Vice President JD Vance is expected to represent the administration at the New York ceremony.

President Donald Trump plans to attend the memorial ceremony at the Pentagon. Trump attended last year's Pentagon ceremony alongside first lady Melania Trump.


yul@heraldcorp.com