Former New York City Mayor Rudy Giuliani revealed Friday what he told Mayor Zohran Mamdani during their awkward handshake at the 9/11 ceremony at Ground Zero — and even offered the far-left Democrat some surprising praise.
Giuliani, 82 — who was famously dubbed "America's mayor" for his steady stewardship at the helm of New York City after the Sept. 11, 2001, terror attacks — told The Post that he shook Mamdani's hand because it was the right thing to do given the solemn occasion.
"We ended up facing each other. I said, 'I pray for you all the time.'"
"He said, 'Thank you,'" Giuliani recounted of the brief exchange with the 34-year-old mayor.
The GOP former mayor had publicly urged Mamdani not to attend the ceremony this year out of respect for victims' families, claiming Hizzoner "doesn't agree that September 11 was an Islamic terrorist attack on the United States of America."
'The Whole Event Would Have Been Different'
Giuliani said both men recognized that turning their backs on each other would have overshadowed the ceremony honoring the nearly 3,000 Americans killed in the attacks.
"We realized that if either one of us turned our backs on the other, that would have been the story."
"I give him credit for that. The whole event would have been different," Giuliani said.
"It's about respect for the families, the solemness of the occasion," the ex-mayor added.
Surprising Praise — and a Warning
In a striking moment of bipartisan grace from a man who has been one of Mamdani's fiercest critics, Giuliani even praised the mayor — while acknowledging their deep political divide remains unchanged.
"He stayed until the very end. I give him credit for that."
"Our differences are strong and haven't changed," Giuliani was quick to add.
Still, the former mayor made clear his concerns about Mamdani's associations have not softened.
"I'm concerned about him hanging around with guys saying 9/11 was our fault."
Mamdani appeared on radical podcast host Hasan Piker's show while campaigning for mayor. Piker once said, "America deserved 9/11."
The handshake at Ground Zero came after more than 110,000 people signed a petition urging Mamdani to skip the remembrance ceremony altogether — a movement fueled by grieving families who viewed the mayor's presence as an insult to the memory of those killed in the attacks.
For Giuliani, the moment was about something bigger than politics — even if the politics, he made clear, haven't gone anywhere.
