Role at the time: Former spokesperson for first lady Jill Biden
Condemned
Statement summary
LaRosa signed the exclusion petition and warned that Mamdani's presence would divert attention from victims and families.
“lightning rod”
Open source (opens in a new tab)Retired Port Authority officers tell Mamdani and Hochul to stay away from Ground ZeroJohn McDevitt’s August 14 letters and Michael LaRosa’s petition statement
Why we used this label
Signing the petition establishes opposition; the quotation captures his stated concern about distraction.
Rudy Giuliani, George Pataki, and some September 11 victims’ relatives opposed Zohran Mamdani attending the 2026 memorial, citing his rhetoric and associations. Mamdani said he would honor victims; other elected officials and a family group said excluding the sitting mayor would politicize the commemoration.
