Rudy Giuliani and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani put aside their political differences with a handshake at a ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks.
Giuliani, the former Republican mayor who recently delivered an anti-Muslim tirade aimed at Mamdani, also offered to pray for the city’s first Muslim mayor during their brief exchange, according to a person familiar with the conversation.
“Rudy told him he knows it’s a tough job and he’s praying for him,” the person said.
Mamdani later described the encounter as an exchange of “pleasantries” after attending a memorial service at a church near Ground Zero.
The moment came after weeks of political rancour over whether Mamdani should attend the Lower Manhattan commemoration. Critics had cited his association with a Twitch streamer who once said “America deserved 9/11”, as well as his religion, while Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman had urged first responders to turn their backs on him.
None of those protests materialised at the ceremony. Instead, elected officials largely stood in the background as victims’ relatives read out the names of all 2,983 people killed in the attacks, with periods of silence marking key moments in the day.
Mamdani remained after the formal proceedings to speak with and pose for photographs with several families. All living presidents and mayors attended, apart from President Donald Trump and former mayor Eric Adams.
There were other signs of an unlikely truce. Former mayor Bill de Blasio was seen hugging and speaking amicably with former governor Andrew Cuomo, whom he had frequently clashed with during their political careers. Vice-President JD Vance also moved among Democratic figures including former presidents Joe Biden and Barack Obama.
New York Governor Kathy Hochul said the ceremony had demonstrated “a moment of common humanity” among politicians who might otherwise attack one another.
“But at that moment, we were united,” she told CNN.
New York Archbishop Ronald Hicks said Giuliani’s offer of prayer reflected a Christian call to pray for people regardless of political agreement.
“He asks us to pray for not only those we love and who we agree with, but to pray for everyone,” he said. “So I just really believe that it’s following in his footsteps, and prayer is a powerful sign of unity.”
The brief display of unity ended once the ceremony was over. Cuomo, who was defeated by Mamdani in last year’s closely fought mayoral election, warned that the anniversary should remind younger politicians that terrorism remained a current threat rather than merely a historical event.
“This is not a page of history,” he said, pointing to the war in Iran and rising concerns about antisemitism. “This is a present-day threat. It wasn’t a once-in-a-lifetime occurrence. This could happen again.”
Outside the World Trade Centre memorial, a confrontation between rival elements of the far right offered a reminder of the wider political divisions. White nationalist Jake Lang held an anti-Muslim rally which was met by a counter-protester shouting “Allahu akbar”, while men dressed as Nazis shouted antisemitic slogans.
