Does a real video show New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani not applauding at the funeral of Staff Sgt. Angel Rampersad? No, that's not true: The video is AI-generated. It was originally posted with an AI disclaimer. The video has since been republished without the disclaimer.
The video was reposted (archived here) on X by @magagrunt1 on Aug. 1, 2026. The post was captioned:
🇺🇸This is Mayor Zohran Mamdani at Staff Sergeant Angel Rampersad funeral yesterday in Queens, NY. What do you notice? Unbelievable.🇺🇸
This is the thumbnail image of the video:
(Image source: post by @magagrunt1 on X.)
The video (archived here) was originally published on X by Paul A. Szypula, under the account handle @Bubblebathgirl. This account does not feature disclaimers in the bio (pictured below), but lists itself as "Animator" (archived here).
(Image source: @Bubblebathgirl on X.)
The content currently published by this account is mostly AI-generated clips based on real people and real newsworthy events, spanning celebrities, athletes, politics and crime. The posts typically have long introductory captions and a "(Video: AI)" disclaimer in the text, which is not visible until the caption is expanded by clicking "Show more." There is also a "Made with AI" label at the bottom of the post just above the date stamp. Note: There is a discrepancy between the way the post appears on X and in the embed below. When viewed on the X platform, it shows July 31, 2026 with a "Made with AI" label, and when viewed as an embed (below), it shows Aug. 1, 2026, without the "Made with AI" label.
Mamdani Snubbed at Fallen NYC Soldier's Funeral
-- Paul A. Szypula 🇺🇸 (@Bubblebathgirl) August 1, 2026
Mayor Zohran Mamdani was blocked from speaking at the funeral of Army Sgt. Angel Sarah Rampersad on Friday, July 31. The 28-year-old Queens native was killed in an Iranian missile attack on July 17.
Sources say the family... https://t.co/ZhmHsMWJD4 pic.twitter.com/1kcMHZ6BZq
Video of the funeral service was streamed live on YouTube by NBC New York on July 31, 2026 (archived here). The screenshot (pictured below) from 1 hour, 45 minutes, 23 seconds in the video shows virtually the same scene as pictured in the thumbnail image above, but the authentic video image is not as clear as the AI-enhanced image. At this moment in the funeral service, New York Gov. Kathy Hochul was speaking. The livestream cut momentarily from Hochul to the audience. It shows Mamdani and many others applauding when Hochul said:
It is the immigrant community that has enriched so many of us and we support them and protect them.
