Robert De Niro Backs Mayor Mamdani at 9/11 Memorial as Tribeca Marks 25th Year
Updated
Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Sep 11
Robert De Niro Backs Mayor Mamdani at 9/11 Memorial as Tribeca Marks 25th Year
3 articles · Updated · Hollywood Reporter · Sep 11
Summary
Robert De Niro said Mayor Zohran Mamdani should attend New York’s 9/11 memorial, arguing the mayor deserves “a chance” and has done nothing that disqualifies him.
The comments answer a fresh backlash from Rudy Giuliani, George Pataki, former FDNY commissioner Thomas von Essen and some victims’ families, who object to Mamdani over perceived ties to people who minimized the attacks.
Jane Rosenthal said the dispute also reflects Mamdani’s tensions with the fire department and past “defund the police” remarks, though both she and De Niro said the memorial should be used to unite the city.
The exchange came in an interview tied to Tribeca’s 25th anniversary and a new Netflix documentary, with De Niro and Rosenthal recalling how the festival was created after 9/11 to help revive lower Manhattan.