Curtis Sliwa Calls 9/11 Families ‘Sore Losers’ For Opposing Mamdani Visit

Curtis Sliwa on Thursday told relatives of 9/11 victims who want New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani kept away from this year’s Ground Zero commemoration to “stop being sore losers,” arguing that they should respect the office even if they disagree with the person holding it.

“He’s the mayor. Stop being sore losers!” Sliwa told reporters Thursday. “You knew this is Zohran Mamdani. He was never a fake, phony, fraudulent, fugazi like a lot of politicians. He told you who he was.”

Some relatives of victims of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks have backed a petition urging Mamdani not to attend this year’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the attacks, which killed 2,977 people.

Giovanni Galante, whose 29-year-old wife, Grace Catherine Galante, was killed on 9/11 and who helped organize the petition, accused Mamdani of failing to “meaningfully acknowledge the horror” of the attacks and associating with people who have minimized them.

Fellow petition organizer Cheri Sparacio, whose husband, Thomas, was killed on 9/11, separately pointed to Mamdani’s association with left-wing streamer Hasan Piker, who said in 2019 that “America deserved 9/11” before later apologizing for the comment.

Mamdani has said he intends to attend the September 11 ceremony despite the opposition.

Sliwa, who ran against Mamdani and former Democratic Gov. Andrew Cuomo as the Republican candidate in last year’s mayoral election, said victims’ families are free to express their disapproval of Mamdani but argued that the mayor’s office itself deserves respect.

Sliwa called the entire effort ridiculous while speaking with reporters. 

“Once he got elected, you should have known he was going to be there at 9/11,” Sliwa said. “Now, if you choose to turn your back on him, I don’t want to ever tell family members what they should be doing on this holiday, not holiday, but this solemn occasion, that’s your choice.

“But I believe you respect the office,” he continued. “He’s the mayor. He’s representing the city.”

Sliwa also revisited a controversial exchange involving Cuomo and radio host Sid Rosenberg during the closing stretch of the 2025 mayoral campaign.

Rosenberg had joked with Cuomo, who was running as an independent, that Mamdani would cheer for the terrorists if another September 11 attack occurred while he held office. Cuomo chuckled before responding, “That’s another problem.” 

Sliwa said Thursday that the comment damaged Cuomo politically at a moment when the former governor had been gaining momentum.

“He was gaining traction, and then he made that stupid remark and then didn’t handle it well,” Sliwa said. “And then Zohran exploited the hell out of it, as he should.”

“That was Islamophobic,” Sliwa added.