New York City Mayor Not Allowed to Speak at Funeral of Fallen Soldier

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani attended the funeral of Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad but was not given the opportunity to speak. The service took place at a church in Ozone Park, Queens. Sgt. Rampersad was one of three U.S. service members who died in Jordan during an Iranian attack on July 17.

During the service, Mayor Mamdani reviewed his prepared speech on an iPad as other dignitaries spoke. However, his name wasn’t called to deliver remarks. A source informed the New York Post that the family decided against having Mamdani speak to avoid political distractions.

“Sgt. Rampersad had tomorrows waiting for her: birthdays, ordinary mornings, evenings spent with her loved ones. But she gave every one of them up so that we could have ours,” Mamdani intended to say.

The Department of War confirmed that Sgt. Angel Rampersad, 28, was killed on July 17, 2026, during an enemy attack at Muwaffaq Salti Air Base, Jordan. New York Governor Kathy Hochul delivered remarks, expressing admiration for Rampersad’s service and sacrifice.

U.S. Central Command stated that Rampersad and two other service members were killed while defending against Iranian missile and drone attacks. The other two fallen soldiers were identified as 1st Lt. Tyler James Feehan, 25, and Pvt. Isabella Gonzales, 19. They were deployed in support of Operation Inherent Resolve.

Sgt. Rampersad served as a Signal Operations Support Specialist in the 1st Battalion, 57th Air Defense Artillery Regiment, stationed in Germany. The soldiers’ deaths highlight ongoing military efforts in regions of strategic interest.