Curtis Sliwa, a former Republican mayoral candidate, commented on Thursday regarding the opposition from some relatives of 9/11 victims to New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attending the Ground Zero commemoration. Sliwa urged the families to 'stop being sore losers' and emphasized the importance of respecting the office of the mayor, regardless of personal disagreements with the individual in the role.
Sliwa stated, 'He’s the mayor. Stop being sore losers!' and defended Mamdani's authenticity as a politician. Some family members of the victims have initiated a petition requesting that Mamdani refrain from attending the 25th anniversary ceremony of the September 11 attacks, which resulted in the deaths of 2,977 individuals.
Giovanni Galante, who lost his wife in the attacks, criticized Mamdani for not adequately acknowledging the tragedy and for associating with individuals who have downplayed it. Another organizer of the petition, Cheri Sparacio, expressed concerns over Mamdani's connection to Hasan Piker, who made controversial remarks about the attacks in 2019.
Despite the opposition, Mamdani has confirmed his intention to attend the ceremony. Sliwa acknowledged that while families are entitled to express their disapproval, the office of the mayor should be respected. He described the petition against Mamdani as 'ridiculous' and reiterated that the families' choices regarding their participation in the commemoration are theirs to make.
Sliwa also referenced a previous controversial exchange involving former Governor Andrew Cuomo, suggesting that a joke made by Cuomo during the 2025 mayoral campaign negatively impacted his political standing.