In 2012 the 9/11 memorial foundation barred politicians from speaking at the Ground Zero ceremony so that the families' reading of names would be its exclusive, politics-free focus

Marking twenty-five years since the attacks that killed 2,977 people, the ceremony has become contested. A petition led by a victim's widower asks organizers to bar Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who intends to attend and has designated the date a citywide day of remembrance and service.