Rudy Giuliani told The Post on Friday that he chose to shake Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s hand at the Sept. 11 memorial ceremony because the moment called for respect — and he credited Mamdani for remaining at the event until it ended.
“We ended up facing each other. I said, ‘I pray for you all the time,’ ” said Giuliani, 82, the former New York City mayor long known as “America’s mayor” for his leadership after the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks in Manhattan.
“He said, ‘Thank you,’” the Republican former mayor recalled of his exchange with Mamdani, the 34-year-old left-wing mayor whom Giuliani had recently urged to skip this year’s ceremony out of deference to victims’ families, arguing that Mamdani “doesn’t agree that September 11 was an Islamic terrorist attack on the United States of America.”
Giuliani said both men appeared to understand the symbolism of the encounter. “We realized that if either one of us turned our backs [on the other], that would have been the story,” he said of the solemn anniversary gathering.
“I give him credit for that. The whole event would have been different.
“It’s about respect for the families, the solemness of the occasion,” Giuliani said.
Despite offering that praise, Giuliani made clear that his political and ideological objections to Mamdani remain. “Our differences are strong and haven’t changed.
“He stayed until the very end. I give him credit for that,” Giuliani said.
Even so, the former mayor said he remains troubled by Mamdani’s associations. “I’m concerned about him hanging around with guys saying 9/11 was our fault,” Giuliani said.
During his mayoral campaign, Mamdani appeared on a show hosted by left-wing podcast personality Hasan Piker, who previously said, “America deserved 9/11.”
