Ted Cruz
Role at the time: U.S. Senator (R-TX)
Condemned
Response to this claim
A four-second video clip shows Mamdani and Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez laughing inappropriately while the names of September 11 victims were being read.
“How the hell do you laugh while the names of those murdered on 9/11 are being read aloud?”
Open source (opens in a new tab)New video shows interaction between NYC Mayor Mamdani and AOC at 9/11 ceremony after the moment sparked debate
CNN's detailed account of the Mamdani-Giuliani handshake and the disputed Mamdani-AOC clip, including direct quotes from Mamdani, Ragusa, Cruz, and Niou.
Why we used this label
Cruz directly criticizes what he characterizes as Mamdani and Ocasio-Cortez laughing during the reading of victims' names, an express condemnation.