Representative Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani drew sharp criticism Friday after videos were posted showed the pair laughing and smiling during the solemn reading of 9/11 victims' names at Ground Zero.

The footage, captured during the 25th anniversary commemoration, shows the two Democratic Socialists exchanging words and breaking into smiles as relatives read aloud the names of those killed in the 2001 attacks. Nearby images from the ceremony depicted grieving family members, including a man hunched over with his head in his hands.

The moment occurred amid a backdrop of controversy over Mamdani's attendance. A petition signed by more than 100,000 people urged the mayor to skip the event, citing his political views and associations. Mamdani attended anyway and has emphasized focusing on the victims and their families.

Both Ocasio-Cortez and Mamdani have recently been criticized for their connection to far-left commentator Hasan Piker, who stated in 2019 that "America deserved 9/11." Piker later sought to clarify the remark as commentary on foreign policy blowback but faced widespread condemnation for the phrasing and insinuation.

The laughter has fueled online outrage, with critics describing the behavior as disrespectful during a ceremony meant to honor the nearly 3,000 victims of the 2001 terror attacks. No evidence indicates the politicians were laughing at any specific name or in direct response to the readings, but the timing amplified perceptions of insensitivity.

The event featured family members reading the names of the dead, a tradition that shows the still ongoing grief felt by survivors and relatives even years later. This year's ceremony marked a quarter-century since the terrorist attacks.