By
Nia Prater,
Intelligencer staff writer, who covers New York politics
On Friday morning, New York City marked the somber 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks as families, politicians, and residents gathered in lower Manhattan to remember the nearly 3,000 lives lost in the city, Pennsylvania, and Virginia that day. But while the lead-up to the solemn ceremony was frequently marred by political debate and inflammatory rhetoric, politics largely took a backseat when the day finally arrived.
The assembled crowd at the 9/11 Memorial was brimming with political figures past and present. Former presidents Barack Obama, Joe Biden, Bill Clinton, and George W. Bush were in attendance as well as Vice-President J.D. Vance and other state and city officials. The most striking scene among that crowd came when Mayor Zohran Mamdani crossed paths with former mayor Rudy Giuliani, amid their deepening (and largely one-sided) feud surrounding the anniversary.
