This was a smart move.
On Friday, the funeral for Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad was held in Queens, New York.
Rampersad was among several U.S. soldiers killed in an Iranian strike on a U.S. base in Jordan.
New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani was in attendance at the funeral and was expected to give a speech.
However an exclusive report by the New York Post has revealed the family of Rampersad reportedly asked Mamdani to not give remarks at the funeral.
The New York Post was the first to report on Mamdani being snubbed:
They gave him the Zo-ld shoulder.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was snubbed from eulogizing Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad at the fallen soldier’s Queens funeral Friday — and the embarrassing scene unfolded in real time as he fumed while waiting in vain to give his speech, sources revealed.
Mamdani, who was relegated to the fourth row in the Ozone Park church, appeared to be reviewing his planned remarks on an iPad while Gov. Kathy Hochul and other dignitaries, including Queens Borough President Donovan Richards, were called to speak, a source in attendance said.
“They kept calling names and then he was never called,” the source said.
“Then he looked over at his staff, frustrated and seemed angry that he didn’t speak. When he realized his name wasn’t being called, he looked at his staff angrily and then eventually put his tablet away.”
The diss came as Mamdani — an avowed democratic socialist who’s harshly critical of Israel and the US war against Iran — remains a divisive political figure both within New York City and across the nation.
Another source involved with the funeral’s planning said Rampersad’s family is pro-President Trump and didn’t want Mamdani to speak.
Yet another insider confirmed that Mamdani’s outspoken lefty politics ultimately led him to lose his customary mayoral role as a speaker during a hometown soldier’s funeral.
“The family is more conservative and wanted to limit any political distractions,” the insider said.
Here’s Mamdani at the funeral:
Fuming Mamdani blocked from speaking at fallen NYC soldier's funeral despite writing speech: 'He was never called' https://t.co/kK072nwq0A pic.twitter.com/XDU1aEAUaY
— New York Post (@nypost) July 31, 2026
Mediaite gave a list of speakers who were invited to speak:
Speakers at the fallen soldier’s funeral, held in an Ozone Park church, reportedly included New York Governor Kathy Hochul (D), Ozone Park Residents Block Association President Sam Esposito, state Sen. Joseph Addabbo Jr. (D-Queens), and Queens Borough President Donovan Richards.
The apparent snub comes as 9/11 families continue to say Mamdani should not attend this year’s ceremony marking the 25th anniversary of the World Trade Center attack.
So far Mamdani has rejected the calls that he stay away from the solemn ceremony.
You can watch the funeral here:
