A friendly greeting or disrespect? Adams caught laughing and smiling at 9/11 memorial ceremony

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was caught on camera laughing and smiling alongside Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a ceremony commemorating the victims of the September 11 attacks. The footage, broadcast on Fox News, sparked widespread outrage on social media and among politicians, who accused him of disrespecting the victims. Others, however, argued that the clip was taken out of context.

New York City Mayor Eric Adams was recorded laughing and smiling alongside Congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez during a ceremony honoring the victims of the Twin Towers attack. The four-second clip, broadcast live on Fox News, also gained traction on CNN and in the New York Post. The broadcast simultaneously showed images of grieving family members weeping and reading the names of their loved ones. Social media reactions were swift, with politicians and public figures condemning the perceived disrespect to the victims. According to reports, senior politicians avoided standing near Adams during the ceremony, and members of his staff and Ocasio-Cortez had to fill the empty seats around him. On the other hand, some clarified that the footage was taken out of context. Adams also faced criticism for participating in the Manhattan memorial march but joining only at the final stop at an Islamic center, skipping Christian and Jewish houses of worship. This criticism adds to previous allegations that he downplays the terror attack.