Zohran Mamdani, the democratic socialist Democratic primary challenger to powerful incumbent New York City mayor Eric Adams is now the focus of a furious political war. This is the crux of the issue regarding his U.S. citizenship. Born in Uganda to ethnic Indian parents, Mamdani, 33, became a U.S. citizen three years ago. His outspoken support for Palestinian rights and leftist policies has attracted significant media attention, particularly following his victory in the New York mayoral primary.
In that recent first-ever primary election, Mamdani placed atop a crowded field that included former Governor Andrew Cuomo despite his substantial name recognition. His campaign focused on restoring the balance of power to working Americans, which struck a chord with millions of voters. Yet at the same time, his views have made him a target for criticism, prompting some elected officials to call into question his citizenship.
Rep. Mamdani has been the target of fierce accusations by Rep. Andy Ogles, who claims Mamdani is antisemitic. He attacked Mamdani personally, derisively calling him – little Muhammad. Ogles stated, “Zohran ‘little muhammad’ Mamdani is an antisemitic, socialist, communist who will destroy the great City of New York. He needs to be deported.” This strong emotion is a microcosm of larger fears among some politicians about Mamdani’s political points of view and history.
Now Mamdani’s citizenship has been put under a microscope, with intrepid calls from Ogles and other xenophobes demanding it be rescinded. The accusations only intensified when he followed the trip with a rap music video – “My Love to the Holy Land Five.” In the song, he called members of a nonprofit convicted of financing Hamas “my men.” His social media posts and past political activism have equally come under intense scrutiny since his primary victory.
Karoline Leavitt remarked on the situation, stating, “I have not seen those claims, but surely if they are true, it’s something that should be investigated.” This underscores the broader, still-unfolding discussion about Mamdani’s right to be in office, and what his left-foreign policy turn might mean.
Chris Murphy, a fellow pol—currently Senator from Connecticut—who has been deeply invested in these developments, condemned the onslaught against Mamdani. In fact, he proclaimed victory for Zohran. He won that campaign by laser-focusing on returning power to working people. That’s a threat to the Mar-a-Lago crowd as we reported last month. He further asserted that “Trump will stop at nothing to protect billionaires and price gouging corporations, even racist bullshit like this,” in reference to the calls for Mamdani’s citizenship to be stripped.
The national political discourse is changing every day. Mamdani has long been open about his democratic socialist beliefs and promises to govern on the left-wing populist model if elected mayor. His 2025 response to his original candidacy will very much set the stage for what election marathons lie ahead in New York City.