New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the funeral of Staff Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad but did not deliver remarks.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the funeral of Staff Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad in Ozone Park, Queens, but was notably absent from the speaking program. While Mamdani reviewed prepared remarks on an iPad during the service at Calvary Assembly of God Church, the Rampersad family chose not to have him speak to avoid potential political distractions. This decision followed a period of where Mamdani's statements regarding Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu have caused some tension with the local Jewish community. Staff Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad was a 28-year-old U.S. service member killed in an Iranian missile attack on an air base in Jordan on July 17. She was posthumously promoted to the rank of staff sergeant and served as a Signal Operations Support Specialist. The service was attended by other dignitaries, including Governor Kathy Hochul. The mayor's office later released his prepared remarks, which honored the Rampersad family's sacrifice and the tomorrows she gave up for the nation's safety.