Giuliani says he offended that Mamdani will attend 9/11 anniversary ceremony

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani said Sunday he is offended by new Mayor Zohran Mamdani attending a ceremony at Ground Zero this week that marks the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks.

Giuliani, who was mayor during the 2001 terror attacks, said Mamdani's attendance would offend the families of those who lost loved ones in the attacks, despite the mayor signing executive orders declaring Sept. 11 a citywide "Day of Remembrance and Service" and updating New York City's emergency preparedness procedures.

The former GOP mayor made the comments came two days after Mamdani signed executive orders declaring Sept. 11 a citywide "Day of Remembrance and Service,' then handed a ceremonial pen to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who reportedly previously represented Ahmed al-Darbi, an al-Qaida operative who pleaded guilty before a U.S. military commission to terrorism charges stemming from the 2002 bombing of a French oil tanker, according to Newsmax. 

"The reality is this ceremony is for the families and for America to remember historically," Giuliani told Newsmax. "Having lost friends there and being very close to many of the families, it offends me that he's coming."

The ceremony will take place on Friday, the anniversary of the attacks, and Giuliani said it was important the country teaches the younger generations the truth about the terror attacks.

"Never forget means we have to teach people about it," Giuliani said. "We don't want to give them propaganda. We just want to give them the truth."

Misty Severi is a news reporter for Just The News. You can follow her on X for more coverage.