--- title: "Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani Seen Laughing at 9/11 Memorial Ceremony" publication: "MediaBias News" url: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ocasio-cortez-and-mamdani-seen-laughing-at-911-memorial-ceremony" api: "https://mediabias.news/api/v1/stories/ocasio-cortez-and-mamdani-seen-laughing-at-911-memorial-ceremony" markdown: "https://mediabias.news/politics/ocasio-cortez-and-mamdani-seen-laughing-at-911-memorial-ceremony.md" audio: "https://mediabias.news/api/audio/ocasio-cortez-and-mamdani-seen-laughing-at-911-memorial-ceremony" category: "Politics" area: "United States" published: "2026-09-11T20:46:19.110Z" source_reported: "2026-09-11T20:25:51.000Z" updated: "2026-09-11T20:46:19.110Z" trust_score: 42 critic_score: 57 hype_score: 68 assessment_type: "coverage-and-source-reporting-analysis" fact_check_status: "not-performed" coverage_measured: "2026-09-11T21:33:42.506Z" --- # Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani Seen Laughing at 9/11 Memorial Ceremony *Video footage of the interaction circulated online, drawing criticism during the 25th anniversary commemoration.* **Scores for the source reporting** (0-100, assessing the original journalism this article was written from, not this write-up): - Trust 42 of 100, higher is better. The central claim is attributed to a named body in one report, and corroborated by 32 digests. - Craft 57 of 100, higher is better. The reporting includes quotes from affected parties and names specific figures, dates, and places. - Hype 68 of 100, lower is better. Headlines and digests use loaded adjectives and imply outrage not fully supported by the reporting. Scored by MediaBias News; method at https://mediabias.news/methodology. **The short version** - Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani were seen laughing during the 25th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks. - The interaction occurred at Ground Zero while victims' names were being read aloud. - Video footage of the moment circulated online and led to criticism. - The event marked 25 years since the 2001 terrorist attacks. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani were observed laughing during the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. The interaction took place at Ground Zero on Friday. Video footage of the moment, which showed the two speaking and smiling before briefly laughing, circulated online. The laughter occurred while victims' names were being read aloud by family members as part of the traditional ceremony. The 2026 commemoration marked 25 years since the attacks that killed nearly 3,000 people. ## Disagreement on the context of the laughter The full report from cedarnews.net stated there was no evidence from the video showing what Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani were discussing or indicating that their laughter was directed at the victims or the name-reading. However, many other reports described the laughter as occurring while victims' families were crying or weeping, or while victims' names were being read aloud, implying a lack of solemnity. ## What the coverage left out None of the left-rated or centre-rated digests mention the claim made by The Gateway Pundit that New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is Muslim. ## Who covered it Shares of the 34 covering outlets with a published leaning rating: - Left: 6% (2) - Centre: 12% (4) - Right: 82% (28) 8 of 42 covering outlets carried no usable leaning rating and were excluded from those percentages. Coverage measured 2026-09-11T21:33:42.506Z. **Coverage watch:** developing. Checked 4 times; 0 checks found a material change. Most recently checked 2026-09-11T21:45:33.030Z. ## How the sides framed it ### Left - The left-rated report from Mediaite led with a quote from a former Giuliani aide stating, 'It’s Not True,' and that he was 'sick of this fake news and people just saying whatever they want.' The report also included a statement from the aide identifying himself as a lifelong Republican who had been critical of both Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez. ### Centre - Centre-rated reports from cedarnews.net, Alabama Live, The New York Ledger, and Internewscast all reported that Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani were seen laughing during the 9/11 memorial ceremony while victims' names were being read aloud. Alabama Live noted that 'MAGA erupted' over their behaviour, while The New York Ledger stated the interaction 'sparks online fury.' Internewscast described the ceremony as 'solemn.' ### Right - Right-rated reports from outlets including El Debate, VINnews, NewsBusters, The Washington Examiner, The Blaze, Conservative Review, El Universo, and The Western Journal focused on the laughter of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani during the 9/11 memorial ceremony. Many described the laughter as occurring while victims' families were weeping or crying, or while victims' names were being read aloud. Headlines used terms such as 'draw fire,' 'fury,' 'heat,' and 'sick.' NewsBusters quoted Senator Ted Cruz asking, 'How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud?' The Blaze and Conservative Review referred to Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani as 'Democrat socialists.' **Provisional coverage gap:** left. The watch is not closed, so this is not yet a settled blindspot finding. ## Factuality profile of the covering outlets These are published factuality ratings of the outlets, not a verdict on whether this story or its claims are true. - veryLow: 2 - low: 6 - mixed: 16 - high: 8 - unknown: 10 ## Verification scope This page compares coverage and scores the source reporting. It is not a ClaimReview verdict on whether the underlying event or claim is true. ## Original reporting this was written from - [NewsBomb](https://newsbomb.gr/kosmos/story/1762826/kamera-deixnei-ton-mamntani-na-gelaei-stin-anagnosi-ton-onomaton-ton-thymaton-tis-11is-septemvriou) — Camera Shows Mamdani Laughing as the Names of the 9/11 Victims Are Read - [WND](https://wnd.com/2026/09/watch-aoc-mamdani-giggle-together-while-9-11) — AOC, Mamdani giggle together while 9/11 victims’ names being read * WorldNetDaily * by Bob Unruh - [wndnewscenter.org](https://wndnewscenter.org/watch-aoc-mamdani-giggle-together-while-9-11-victims-names-being-read) — AOC, Mamdani giggle together while 9/11 victims’ names being read * WND News Center - [Newsweek](https://newsweek.com/trump-mamdani-and-aoc-face-criticism-over-reactions-to-9-11-commemorations-12433641) — Trump, Mamdani and AOC face criticism over reactions to 9/11 commemorations - [BizToc](https://biztoc.com/x/167364c26709d1fd) — Trump, Mamdani and AOC Face Criticism Over Reactions to 9/11 Commemorations - [Alabama Live](https://al.com/politics/2026/09/maga-erupts-over-how-mamdani-aoc-behaved-at-911-commemoration-have-some-damn-respect.html) — MAGA erupts over how Mamdani, AOC behaved at 9/11 ceremony - [El Debate](https://eldebate.com/internacional/20260911/mamdani-ocasiocortez-parten-risa-ceremonia-11s-mientras-familias-victimas-lloraban_457998.html) — Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez Laugh at the 9/11 Ceremony as the Families of the Victims Cried - [The New York Ledger](https://thenyledger.com/politics/aoc-mamdani-interaction-caught-on-cam-at-9-11-memorial-sparks-online-fury) — AOC, Mamdani interaction caught on cam at 9/11 memorial sparks online fury - [Breitbart](https://breitbart.com/politics/2026/09/11/watch-mamdani-aoc-appear-yuk-it-up-at-ground-zero-while-9-11-victims-names-are-read) — Mamdani, AOC Appear to Yuk It Up at Ground Zero While 9/11 Victims' Names Are Read - [The Heartlander](https://heartlandernews.com/watch-mamdani-aoc-seen-laughing-during-reading-of-names-at-9-11-memorial) — Mamdani, AOC seen laughing during reading of names at 9/11 memorial - [The Free Press Journal](https://freepressjournal.in/world/video-nyc-mayor-zohran-mamdani-rep-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-spark-outrage-after-laughing-during-911-ceremony) — NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani & Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez Spark Outrage After Laughing During 9/11 Ceremony - [VINnews](https://vinnews.com/2026/09/11/aoc-and-mamdani-draw-fire-over-laughter-during-9-11-ceremony) — AOC and Mamdani Draw Fire Over Laughter During 9/11 Ceremony - [gazzetta.gr](https://gazzetta.gr/plus/2568393/orgi-stin-teleti-tis-11is-septembrioy-kamera-deihnei-ton-zoran-mammtani-na-gelaei-kata) — Anger at 9/11 Ceremony: Camera Shows Zoran Mamdani Laughing During Reading of Victims' Names (Vid) - [NewsBusters](https://newsbusters.org/blogs/cnsnews/craig-bannister/2026/09/11/video-mamdani-aoc-laughing-and-smiling-names-911-victims) — Video of Mamdani, AOC Laughing and Smiling as Names of 9/11 Victims Are Read Goes Viral - [wfmd.com](https://wfmd.com/2026/09/11/mamdani-draws-fury-from-9-11-mourners-over-ground-zero-appearance-disrespectful) — Mamdani draws fury from 9/11 mourners over Ground Zero appearance: ‘Disrespectful’ - [Washington Examiner](https://washingtonexaminer.com/news/4723935/aoc-mamdani-laugh-9-11-victims-name-read) — AOC and Mamdani take heat for laughing as 9/11 victims' names are read off - [The Blaze](https://theblaze.com/news/aoc-mamdani-laughing-911-terrorism) — AOC and Mamdani seen laughing and smiling as 9/11 families weep at Ground Zero - [Conservative Review](https://conservativereview.com/aoc-and-mamdani-seen-laughing-and-smiling-as-9-11-families-weep-at-ground-zero-2677848997.html) — AOC and Mamdani seen laughing and smiling as 9/11 families weep at Ground Zero - [El Universo](https://eluniverso.com/noticias/internacional/zohran-mamdani-y-aoc-desatan-criticas-en-redes-sociales-tras-ser-captados-sonriendo-durante-ceremonia-del-11s-nota) — Zohran Mamdani and AOC Spark Social Media Criticism After Being Caught Smiling During 11S Ceremony - [khbrknews](https://khbrknews.com/mamdani-draws-fury-from-9-11-mourners-over-ground-zero-appearance-disrespectful) — Mamdani draws fury from 9/11 mourners over Ground Zero appearance: ‘Disrespectful’ - [[your]NEWS](https://yournews.com/2026/09/11/7192691/mamdani-aoc-seen-laughing-during-9-11-memorial-as-victims-names) — Mamdani, AOC Seen Laughing During 9/11 Memorial as Victims’ Names Are Read - [Fox News](https://foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-attendance-911-remembrance-draws-rebuke-mourners-disrespectful) — Mamdani draws fury from 9/11 mourners over Ground Zero appearance: ‘Disrespectful’ - [The Western Journal](https://westernjournal.com/watch-mamdani-aoc-seen-smiling-laughing-names-9-11-victims-read) — Mamdani and AOC Seen Smiling and Laughing as Names of 9/11 Victims Are Read - [Washington Times](https://washingtontimes.com/news/2026/sep/11/mamdani-aoc-seen-laughing-911-victims-names-read) — Mamdani, AOC seen laughing as 9/11 victims' names are read - [thepoliticalsignal.com](https://thepoliticalsignal.com/aoc-mamdani-caught-doing-unthinkable-during-9-11-memorial-service-for-victims) — AOC/Mamdani Caught Doing Unthinkable During 9/11 Memorial Service For Victims - The Political Signal - [100% FED UP!](https://100percentfedup.com/video-mamdani-aoc-seen-laughing-during-9-11) — Mamdani and AOC Seen Laughing During 9/11 Names Reading at Ground Zero – 100PercentFedUp.com – by Jack - [WLTReport](https://wltreport.com/2026/09/11/mamdani-aoc-laughing-911-names-reading-ground-zero) — Mamdani and AOC Seen Laughing During 9/11 Names Reading at Ground Zero - [NewsFinale](https://newsfinale.com/us/alexandria-ocasio-cortez-and-zohran-mamdani-seen-laughing-together-at-9-11-ceremony) — Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Zohran Mamdani Seen Laughing Together at 9/11 Ceremony - [thedailybs.com](https://thedailybs.com/2026/09/11/aoc-and-mamdani-caught-laughing-together-as-9-11-victims-names-are-read-at-ground-zero) — AOC and Mamdani caught laughing together as 9/11 victims’ names are read at Ground Zero - The Daily Bo Snerdley - [cedarnews.net](https://cedarnews.net/newstasks/977754/aoc-mamdani-seen-laughing-9-11-memorial) — AOC and Mamdani Seen Laughing During 9/11 Memorial Name Reading at Ground Zero - [Louder With Crowder](https://louderwithcrowder.com/mamdani-ground-zero) — Mamdani and AOC Seen Laughing During 9/11 Ceremony as Families Mourn Victims - [Conservative Brief](https://conservativebrief.com/aoc-mamdani-9-11-104356) — Ocasio-Cortez, Mamdani Caught on Camera in SICK Act at 9/11 Event - [The Gateway Pundit](https://thegatewaypundit.com/2026/09/sick-mamdani-aoc-laugh-as-names-honored-dead) — SICK! Mamdani and AOC LAUGH as Names of Honored Dead Read Aloud at 9/11 Memorial * The Gateway Pundit * by Cristina Laila - [New York Post](https://nypost.com/2026/09/11/us-news/zohran-mamdani-aoc-spotted-laughing-at-9-11-ceremony-while-victims-families-weep-during-reading-of-names) — Zohran Mamdani and AOC spotted laughing at 9/11 ceremony while victims’ families weep during reading of names - [Internewscast](https://internewscast.com/news/aoc-and-mamdani-seen-laughing-during-solemn-9-11-ceremony) — AOC and Mamdani Seen Laughing During Solemn 9/11 Ceremony - [News Addicts](https://newsaddicts.com/disrespect-at-ground-zero-aoc-and-mamdani-share-a-laugh-amid-9-11-remembrance) — Disrespect at Ground Zero: AOC and Mamdani Share a Laugh Amid 9/11 Remembrance - [The American Tribune](https://theamericantribune.com/watch-mamdani-and-aoc-seen-laughing-at-9-11-ceremony-as-victims-names-are-read-off) — Mamdani And AOC Seen Laughing At 9/11 Ceremony As Victims' Names Are Read Off - The American Tribune.com - [Mediaite](https://mediaite.com/media/news/its-not-true-ex-giuliani-aide-demolishes-claim-mamdani-and-aoc-laughed-during-9-11-memorial) — ‘It’s Not True’: Ex-Giuliani Aide Demolishes Claim Mamdani And AOC Laughed During 9/11 Memorial - [The Bronx Daily | Bronx.com](https://bronx.com/zohran-mamdani-and-aoc-laugh-as-people-cry-during-9-11-memorial-in-new-york-city) — Zohran Mamdani & AOC Laugh As People Cry During 9/11 Memorial In New York City - [The Post Millennial](https://thepostmillennial.com/mamdani-aoc-seen-giggling-at-ground-zero-as-9-11-victims-names-are-read) — Mamdani, AOC LAUGH at Ground Zero while 9/11 victims’ names are read - [Twitchy](https://twitchy.com/samj/2026/09/11/aoc-and-zohran-mamdani-spotted-laughing-during-9-11-event-n2432233) — AOC and Zohran Mamdani Spotted Yucking It UP As Names of Those Murdered Read at Ground Zero - [The New Republic](https://newrepublic.com/post/215356/republicans-smear-alexandria-ocasio-cortez-zohran-mamdani-collapses) — Republicans’ 9/11 Smear About AOC and Mamdani Instantly Collapses ## Questions **What happened at the 9/11 memorial ceremony?** Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani were seen laughing during the 25th anniversary commemoration of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks. Video footage of the interaction circulated online while victims' names were being read aloud, drawing criticism. **When did the 9/11 attacks occur?** The September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks killed nearly 3,000 people in New York, at the Pentagon, and near Shanksville, Pennsylvania. The 2026 ceremony marked the 25th anniversary of these attacks. **What was the reaction to the video of Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani?** The video of Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Mayor Zohran Mamdani laughing during the 9/11 memorial ceremony circulated online and drew criticism. Some reports described the criticism as 'online fury' and noted that social media users expressed anger. --- MediaBias News — https://mediabias.news. Reproduced from https://mediabias.news/politics/ocasio-cortez-and-mamdani-seen-laughing-at-911-memorial-ceremony. Please cite as: MediaBias News, "Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani Seen Laughing at 9/11 Memorial Ceremony", https://mediabias.news/politics/ocasio-cortez-and-mamdani-seen-laughing-at-911-memorial-ceremony