Giuliani Blasts NYC Mayor Mamdani's 9/11 Ceremony Gesture: 'It Offends Me'

Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani, once hailed as "America's Mayor" for his leadership during the 9/11 attacks, has condemned current Mayor Zohran Mamdani's controversial gesture at a recent 9/11 memorial ceremony, declaring that it "offends me." The remark comes amid a firestorm of criticism over Mamdani's decision to present a commemorative pen to a top aide with ties to a 9/11 hijacker's defense team.

NEW YORK – A Newsmax graphic capturing former Mayor Rudy Giuliani's blunt condemnation is circulating online, reflecting the outrage felt by many 9/11 victims' families and first responders. The controversy erupted after New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, the city's first Muslim mayor, signed executive orders establishing a 9/11 Day of Remembrance and Service on September 4, 2026 — and then presented the ceremonial pen to his chief legal counsel, Ramzi Kassem .

The gesture immediately sparked fury because of Kassem's background: he previously served as a defense attorney for Ahmed Darbi, a Guantanamo Bay detainee who was convicted of war crimes for his role in a 2002 terrorist attack on a French oil tanker. More significantly, Darbi is the brother-in-law of one of the 9/11 hijackers who crashed American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon .

A 'Profoundly Insulting' Gesture

For Giuliani, who was the face of New York's resilience during the darkest hours of 9/11, the moment was a bridge too far. He told Newsmax that the act was deeply offensive, arguing that the symbolism of honoring a legal representative tied to the perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks at a memorial event was an affront to the victims and their families.

"I'm deeply offended by this," Giuliani was quoted as saying, adding that the ceremony was supposed to honor the nearly 3,000 people who died, not to normalize ties with those who aided the enemy.

Giuliani's own legacy is inextricably tied to 9/11. His leadership during the attacks earned him international acclaim, including a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II and Time magazine's Person of the Year title . However, his political career in recent years has been marred by controversy following his role as Donald Trump's personal attorney, leading to the suspension of his law license and a $148 million defamation judgment . Despite his recent hospitalization for pneumonia linked to toxins he inhaled at Ground Zero, Giuliani remains a vocal presence on the national stage .

The Symbolism of the Pen

The administration's explanation for the gesture — that Kassem and his team drafted the executive orders — has done little to quell the backlash . Critics argue that even if procedural, the presentation of a ceremonial item at such a solemn occasion was a profound misstep.

"For the mayor to hand a 9/11 commemoration pen to someone who represented the very ideology that attacked us is a disgrace," one victims' family member told local media. The event has sparked a massive petition with over 98,000 signatures calling for Mamdani to be barred from official 9/11 memorial events, a demand echoed by some Republican leaders .

A Wider Political Clash

The incident reflects the volatile state of New York City politics. Mayor Mamdani, a 34-year-old democratic socialist and the city's first Muslim mayor, represents a new wave of progressive leadership that has reshaped the city's political landscape .

Mamdani's office has defended the appointment of Kassem, pointing to his professional legal credentials. However, for many who view the 9/11 attacks as a defining moment of national unity, the mayor's gesture has been interpreted as an endorsement of values that are fundamentally at odds with the spirit of the memorial.

The Bottom Line

For Rudy Giuliani, the act of honoring someone associated with the legal defense of terrorists at a memorial for victims is not just a political difference — it is a fundamental affront to the memory of the fallen. For Mayor Mamdani and his administration, the reaction reveals the deep fissures that still exist in American society over how to properly remember the events of September 11, 2001, 25 years later.

As the anniversary approaches, the city remains divided on whether the current mayor should be allowed to participate in the official ground zero ceremonies. The debate is unlikely to be resolved before the solemn date arrives.