Yuh-Line Niou
Role at the time: Former New York State Assemblymember
Challenged the characterization
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.
“ridiculous talking points... stayed for every name and even stayed after to talk to families for 45 minutes... was just when she walked up to him and said hello.”
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
Niou, another attendee, directly disputes the "laughing" characterization and adds context about Mamdani staying for the full ceremony, without taking a position on the broader attendance dispute itself.