As the United States marks 25 years since the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Americans across the country are gathering to honor the nearly 3,000 people who perished and reflect on the day that forever changed the nation.
In New York City, leaders like Vice President JD Vance and past presidents Joe Biden, Barack Obama, and George W. Bush were seen mingling with other leaders ahead of the memorial ceremony at the World Trade Center.
Viral Bush and Mamdani Handshake Moment
One moment quickly went viral on social media after Bush and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani shook hands—but Bush did not appear too friendly with the socialist Muslim mayor.
Mamdani has faced criticism several times this week as the country prepares for 9/11.
City Hall Ceremony Controversy Over Pen Handoff
Mamdani was slammed earlier this week in an unexpected moment during a City Hall ceremony marking the upcoming 25th anniversary of the September 11 terrorist attacks.
After signing executive orders honoring 9/11 victims and strengthening city emergency preparedness, Mamdani directed that the ceremonial pen be passed to one of his senior aides, whose past legal work quickly became the focus of controversy.
The ceremony was intended to establish September 11 as an annual citywide Day of Remembrance and Service while also updating the city’s continuity planning.
Video and reporting from the event showed Mamdani handing the pen to NYPD Commissioner Jessica Tisch and quietly asking her to pass it along.
Tisch then handed the ceremonial pen to Mamdani’s chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, a longtime attorney who previously represented Guantánamo Bay detainee Ahmed al-Darbi.
Kassem’s Legal Representation and Al-Darbi Connection
Al-Darbi pleaded guilty before a military commission to terrorism-related charges stemming from the 2002 bombing of the French oil tanker MV Limburg off Yemen.
His family also had a direct connection to the September 11 attacks through his brother-in-law Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 77, which struck the Pentagon.
Kassem’s legal representation of al-Darbi was part of a broader career focused on national-security, civil-rights and Guantánamo Bay cases.
CUNY School of Law records confirm that Kassem and his students worked on al-Darbi’s case while Kassem directed the school’s immigrant-rights clinic, and that he has represented numerous detainees held at Guantánamo.
Mamdani is under fire after a symbolic 9/11 pen was handed to a former al Qaeda defense lawyer.
Kassem now serves as chief counsel to Mamdani and was listed by the mayor at Friday’s ceremony among senior administration officials involved in the event.
City Hall told the New York Post that Kassem attended because his office helped draft both executive orders as part of his responsibilities as chief counsel.
Criticism from 9/11 Victims’ Families and Council Members
The symbolism of giving him the signing pen nevertheless drew immediate criticism from relatives of 9/11 victims and Republican members of the New York City Council.
Dennis Warchola, whose firefighter brother Michael died in the North Tower, questioned why someone with Kassem’s legal history would be singled out during a ceremony commemorating the attacks.
Council Member Joann Ariola described the move as “breathtakingly tone-deaf and disrespectful,” arguing that the anniversary should focus on victims and their families.
Retired NYPD detective Michael Alcazar also criticized the symbolism, telling the Post he believed the handoff had been calculated, although no evidence has emerged establishing that Mamdani intended the gesture as a political statement.
Executive Orders Focus on 9/11 Remembrance
The mayor’s executive orders themselves focus explicitly on honoring those killed on September 11, first responders, survivors and families affected by the attacks.
The remembrance order directs city agencies to observe moments of silence, hold commemorative programs and promote volunteer service each September 11.
A second order announced alongside it updates emergency preparedness procedures and creates a new interagency team aimed at maintaining essential city operations during future crises.
Mamdani said the orders were intended to demonstrate that “Never Forget” should involve both remembrance and concrete preparation to protect New Yorkers.
The controversy therefore centers not on the substance of the executive orders but on the ceremonial decision to give the signing pen to Kassem. Kassem’s work representing accused or convicted terrorism suspects was undertaken in his role as an attorney, and legal representation does not imply endorsement of a client’s conduct or ideology.