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De Niro Backs Mamdani at 9/11 Memorial Despite 'Ridiculous' Police Comments
Robert De Niro said Mayor Zohran Mamdani should attend New York's 9/11 memorial despite past 'defund the police' remarks, as a petition signed by more than 100,000 people urges him to stay away.
Robert De Niro said New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani should attend Friday's Sept. 11 memorial ceremony even though the actor described the mayor's past calls to defund the police as «ridiculous.»
In an interview with The Hollywood Reporter published Thursday, De Niro was asked whether Mamdani should be present at the commemoration marking 25 years since the World Trade Center attacks. «I don't see why he shouldn't come,» De Niro said. «He's the mayor. I haven't heard him say or do anything yet that would disqualify him from being there. Maybe I'm naive, but you have to give the guy a chance. He's not a part of what happened.»
The remarks come as political rancor threatens to overshadow this year's remembrance events. Mamdani's past rhetoric and associations have drawn intense backlash, with Republicans and families of victims demanding he not attend. An online petition led by relatives of those killed on Sept. 11 has gathered more than 100,000 signatures urging the mayor to skip the ceremony.
De Niro acknowledged the pain of the families but maintained his position. «I understand their pain, but I still think he should be there,» he said. When the interviewer noted that the controversy stems partly from Mamdani's tension with the fire department and his «defund the police» comments, De Niro replied: «Well he did say it. And, of course, it's ridiculous. You can't defund the police. It's not going to happen. But I still think he should be at the memorial.»
The actor suggested Mamdani could use the occasion «as a bridge» to unite people. Mamdani called to defund the police in 2020 and labeled the NYPD «racist, anti-queer, and a major threat to public safety.»
The petition cites Mamdani's praise for Brooklyn Imam Siraj Wahhaj, who was named as an alleged co-conspirator in the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and served as a character witness for the «Blind Sheikh» convicted in 1995 of plotting terror attacks against the United States. It also points to his endorsement of candidates such as Aber Kawas, who described 9/11 as an attack «a couple of people did in the context of U.S. capitalism, racism, White supremacy, and Islamophobia,» and expressed sympathy for Ahmed Ferhani, who pleaded guilty to plotting to blow up a Manhattan synagogue.
Mamdani has also faced scrutiny over his association with far-left activist Hasan Piker, who once said the United States «deserved» the attacks, remarks he later walked back. Mamdani has condemned the comment. Separately, the mayor drew criticism for giving a ceremonial pen from a 9/11 remembrance ceremony to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who once represented Ahmed al-Darbi, a convicted al Qaeda member and brother-in-law of Khalid al-Mihdhar, one of the hijackers aboard American Airlines Flight 77 that crashed into the Pentagon.
Rafael Mangual, head of research for the Manhattan Institute's Policing & Public Safety Initiative, disagreed with De Niro's stance. «I'm not sure I share Mr. DeNiro's dismissal of calls for Mayor Mamdani to keep away from the official memorial ceremony at the site of the World Trade Center on Friday,» Mangual said. He added that the mayor's past «vitriol for the NYPD — whose members bravely ran to the assistance of their fellow Americans that tragic morning 25 years ago — are not the only justifications for the anger of the families.» Mangual also noted that Mamdani, as a rapper, praised the Holy Land Five, a group convicted of providing material support to Hamas.
Entertainment commentator Christian Toto criticized the interview, telling Fox News Digital that The Hollywood Reporter «eggs on Robert De Niro, sans fact checking, because it agrees with most of what he says.» Toto added that De Niro «hasn't a clue about the mayor's past comments, his toxic associations or why his 'defund the police' beliefs are so damaging.»
When asked about President Donald Trump, De Niro offered a sharper reply: «We have to stop him. It's insane. We have to send people to voting booths and make sure they can go in. Just watch to keep them safe. It's crazy we're here, but this is where we are. We have to protect our elections.»
The memorial is set to proceed Friday as planned, with Mamdani expected to attend despite the petition. The debate reflects broader tensions over how the city marks the anniversary and who should participate in official ceremonies.
