New York City Police Commissioner Jessica Tisch warned that the line between 9/11 terrorists and first responders must remain crystal clear. She made the statement Wednesday at the unveiling of a 9/11 Memorial Wall at One Police Plaza honoring 469 NYPD members who died from illnesses linked to their service.
Tisch declared, “Preserving that history also means preserving its moral clarity.” She added, “The men who attacked this city were terrorists. The men and women who ran into the towers to save innocent lives were heroes. Twenty‑five years cannot be allowed to blur that distinction and shame on those who do.”
Observers immediately interpreted the remarks as a veiled rebuke of Mayor Zohran Mamdani, who stood beside Tisch. Former financial executive Sam Antar posted, “Jessica Tisch said this with Zohran Mamdani sitting beside her. Public officials must show ‘moral clarity’ about 9/11 and never blur the distinction between heroes and terrorists. ‘Shame on those who do.’ She didn’t say his name. She didn’t have to.”
Mamdani signed orders designating September 11 as a Day of Remembrance and addressed security concerns ahead of the 25th anniversary events. He then gifted the ceremonial pen to his chief counsel, Ramzi Kassem, who has been linked to al‑Qaeda terrorists.
Because Tisch stood between them, Mamdani first handed the pen to her and asked her to “pass it” to Kassem. Witnesses said Tisch abruptly exited the room after the exchange.
Critics called the move a calculated act of passive aggression. Fox Business anchor David Asman said, “This childish, calculated display of passive aggression was missed by no one, and will not be forgotten by Tisch or by NYC’s millions of 9/11 survivors.”
Wall Street Journal op‑ed writer Matthew Hennessey added, “Everyone deserves a lawyer.” He warned that Mamdani mocked the city’s 9/11 loss by giving the pen to Kassem, forcing Tisch to participate. He might as well have turned to the cameras and winked.
