Dallas, TX – At the 2026 GOP midterm convention, Rep. Mike Lawler (R‑NY) urged New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to abstain from attending the September 11 memorial in Manhattan. Lawler told Fox News, “From my vantage point, I don’t think he should be there, and I think most New Yorkers agree that he should not be there.” He added that the families of 9/11 victims and first responders share that view.
Petition and public outcry
An online petition signed by more than 100,000 individuals, many of whom are family members of those killed on September 11, calls for the mayor’s exclusion from the ceremony. The petition alleges that Mayor Mamdani has praised Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who was named an alleged co‑conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and served as a character witness for the “Blind Sheikh.” It also notes Mamdani’s endorsement of candidates who have described the attacks as a product of U.S. capitalism, racism, white supremacy, and Islamophobia.
Political context
Mayor Mamdani, a self‑identified democratic socialist, has faced scrutiny for his association with far‑left activist Hasan Piker, who previously suggested the United States “deserved” the attacks. While Mamdani has publicly condemned those remarks, critics argue the connections raise concerns about his suitability to represent the city at a solemn national remembrance.
Republican Study Committee Chairman August Pfluger (R‑TX) echoed Lawler’s sentiment, stating Mamdani should not attend until he can “actually call out terror groups around the world for what they want to do to this country, and that includes Hamas.” Pfluger emphasized that such extremist sympathies are “a cancer to the freedoms we fought for” and do not reflect American values.
Mayor’s response and transparency effort
Mayor Mamdani’s office has not issued a formal comment on the petition or the lawmakers’ statements. However, the mayor’s team recently launched an online portal granting residents access to roughly 170,000 pages of local government records related to the 9/11 attacks. The documents appear to address concerns about air‑quality information provided to the public in the aftermath of the attacks.
Lawyer and community advocates have praised the portal as a step toward greater transparency, though critics argue it does not mitigate the broader concerns about the mayor’s past rhetoric and affiliations.
Local impact
The controversy underscores the ongoing tension between New York’s diverse political leadership and the families of 9/11 victims who seek a respectful commemoration of the tragedy. As the 25th anniversary approaches, city officials will need to balance the desire for inclusive representation with the sensitivities of those who lost loved ones on that day.
Fox News Digital reached out to the mayor’s office for comment; a response was not received at the time of publication.
Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.
