Just days after making history as New York City’s first Muslim mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani now faces an unprecedented challenge: the President of the United States has suggested stripping him of his citizenship.
On November 4, 34-year-old Zohran Mamdani claimed a decisive victory, defeating Independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa by a significant margin. When he assumes office on January 1, 2026, he will become the city’s first Muslim, first South Asian, first African-born, and first Millennial mayor.
“The conventional wisdom would say I’m far from perfect,” Mamdani told a cheering crowd at his election-night rally. “I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most of all, I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
Outside the Brooklyn Paramount, the crowd erupted as he continued: “New York, tonight you’ve delivered a mandate for change.”
This mandate followed a grassroots campaign addressing the affordability crisis affecting millions of New Yorkers. Mamdani ran on a bold progressive platform, including free public bus service, universal childcare, and a rent freeze for stabilized apartments. Despite facing well-funded opponents backed by establishment forces, his win shocked national observers.
But Mamdani’s path to New York’s top office began far from the city’s five boroughs.
From Uganda to U.S. Citizenship
He arrived in the United States from Uganda in 1998, at just seven years old. After years as a lawful permanent resident, he became a U.S. citizen in 2018, a step that enabled him to eventually run for office.
Now, as he prepares to lead City Hall, Mamdani’s historic win has triggered fierce backlash — not only from critics but from some of the most influential figures in conservative politics, including President Donald Trump.
ICE, Threats, and Political Retaliation
Attacks against Mamdani began months before Election Day.
During his primary victory speech in June 2025, he pledged to “stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors.”
The promise drew national attention and immediate pushback from Trump, who reportedly said, “Well then, we’ll have to arrest him.” The President also repeated unfounded claims questioning Mamdani’s legal status in the country.
“A lot of people are saying he’s here illegally,” Trump said. “We’re going to look at everything. Ideally, he’s going to turn out to be much less than a communist. But right now, he’s a communist. That’s not a socialist.”
Standing Firm Against Intimidation
Mamdani responded publicly, posting on X:
“The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, detained, and deported. Not because I’ve broken any law, but because I refuse to let ICE terrorize our city. His words are not just an attack on me—they are an attack on every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows. We will not accept this intimidation.”
Rising Tensions with Washington
As Election Day approached, Trump intensified his rhetoric. On Truth Social, he called Mamdani a “self-proclaimed New York City Communist” and claimed his candidacy would benefit Republicans.
“Self-proclaimed New York City Communist Zohran Mamdani, running for Mayor, will end up helping the Republican Party more than anyone else,” Trump wrote. “He’s going to face problems with Washington like no Mayor before him.”
Deportation Threats from Far-Right Figures
The attacks extended beyond Trump. On October 29, Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles released a statement calling for Mamdani to be investigated and stripped of citizenship, alleging—without evidence—that Mamdani falsified his naturalization documents and was aligned with “communist” or “terrorist” ideologies.
“If Mamdani lied on his naturalization documents, he doesn’t deserve citizenship, and certainly shouldn’t be running for Mayor,” Ogles said. “If confirmed, he should be sent back to Uganda immediately.”
Legal experts, however, dismissed such claims. PolitiFact reported that “no credible evidence exists that Mamdani lied on his citizenship application” and emphasized that denaturalization can only occur via judicial order.
A Determined Mayor-Elect
As Mamdani prepares to take office, he faces intense political pressure and right-wing opposition. Yet, his determination remains clear.
“To get to any of us,” Mamdani declared on election night, “you will have to get through all of us.”