'She's Greeting Him Hello:' Mamdani and AOC's 9/11 Row Takes Twist as Security Chief Disputes Laughing Narrative

A four-second Ground Zero clip showing Zohran Mamdani and AOC smiling during the 9/11 victims’ name reading sparked outrage (Credit: NYC Mayor's Office via Wikimedia Commons)

A four-second clip from the 25th anniversary ceremony at Ground Zero has triggered a political firestorm, but the man standing beside the two politicians says the footage shows nothing of the kind.

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez were at the centre of a furious online row Friday after cameras captured them smiling at each other while the names of 9/11 victims were being read aloud.