Former New York City mayor Rudy Giuliani explained what he said to Mayor Zohran Mamdani during their brief handshake at the 25th‑anniversary ceremony for the September 11, 2001 attacks in Manhattan. The event drew a wide array of political figures, including all living former presidents, and was livestreamed after the fact.
Giuliani told his former chief of staff, Tony Carbonetti, that he had shaken hands with Mamdani and that he had offered a prayer. He said the mayor replied with a simple “thank you” and that the two men then went their separate ways. Giuliani added that he believed he had extended his hand first, though he acknowledged Mamdani might have initiated the exchange. He also noted that both men were aware of the potential for a negative reaction and that they chose to avoid turning the moment into a distraction from the memory of the 2,753 people who died at the World Trade Center.
Less than a week before the ceremony, Giuliani had publicly opposed Mamdani’s attendance, saying that the city’s first Muslim mayor “wants his religion to dominate us.” He further made broader anti‑Muslim statements, claiming that Muslims “want to dominate us” and that those he supports are “murderers.” Other Republicans, including former governor George Pataki, urged Mamdani to skip the event.
Mamdani, who called the attacks “horrific,” confirmed his attendance before the ceremony and said he would honor the families, survivors and first responders. He also released more than 170,000 pages of internal records indicating that officials had misled the public about the safety of the air around Ground Zero after 9/11, saying that people had become ill because leaders lied about toxic air.
The Independent has contacted the mayor’s office for comment.
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