Just days after making history by becoming New York City’s first Muslim mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani finds himself facing an unusual threat: the President of the United States wants to revoke his citizenship.
On November 4th, the 34-year-old Mamdani achieved a decisive victory, defeating Independent Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa with a significant margin. Assuming office on January 1, 2026, Mamdani will be recognized as New York City’s first Muslim, first South Asian, first African-born, and first Millennial mayor.
In his election night rally, Mamdani addressed the crowd: “The conventional wisdom would tell you that I am far from the perfect candidate. I am young, despite my best efforts to grow older. I am Muslim. I am a democratic socialist. And most notably, I refuse to apologize for any of this.”
The crowd, gathered outside Brooklyn Paramount, erupted as he passionately continued: “New York, tonight you have delivered a mandate for change.”
This mandate was driven by a grassroots campaign tackling the affordability crisis affecting millions of New Yorkers. Mamdani ran on a platform with bold, progressive ideas like free public bus service, universal childcare, and a rent freeze on stabilized apartments. Despite opponents with substantial financial backing and establishment support, his win surprised many across the country.
Mamdani’s path to New York’s highest office started far from the five boroughs.
Became a Citizen in 2018
Mamdani’s journey in the U.S. began in 1998 when he arrived from Uganda at the age of seven. He spent years as a lawful permanent resident before becoming a U.S. citizen in 2018, a milestone that eventually allowed him to run for office.
Now, as Mamdani prepares to lead City Hall, his groundbreaking win has stirred backlash—not only from critics but also from some influential conservative political figures, including President Donald Trump.
ICE, Threats, and Retaliation
The attacks on Mamdani started months before the general election.
In his primary victory speech in June 2025, Mamdani vowed to stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors.
This bold pledge quickly drew national attention and Trump swiftly responded, reportedly saying, “Well then, we’ll have to arrest him.”
At the time, the President labeled Mamdani a “nut job” and made unsupported accusations that Mamdani is in the country unlawfully.
“A lot of people are saying hes here illegally,” Trump stated. “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.”
‘Will Not Accept This Intimidation’
Mamdani did not remain silent. In a statement posted on X, he declared: “The President of the United States just threatened to have me arrested, stripped of my citizenship, put in a detention camp, and deported. Not because I have broken any law, but because I refuse to let ICE terrorize our city.”
His statement continued: “His statements don’t just represent an attack on our democracy but an attempt to send a message to every New Yorker who refuses to hide in the shadows: if you speak up, they will come for you.“
“We will not accept this intimidation,” Mamdani affirmed in his July 1 post.
‘Going to Have Problems with Washington’
As Election Day neared, Trump intensified his attacks. On Truth Social, he called Mamdani a “self-proclaimed New York City Communist” and suggested that his candidacy might benefit Republicans.
“Self-proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, who is running for Mayor, could be one of the best things to happen for our great Republican Party,” Trump wrote according to CNBC. “He is going to have problems with Washington like no Mayor in the history of our once great City.”
““Remember, he needs the money from me, as President, in order to fulfill all of his fake communist promises. He won’t be getting any of it,” Trump raged about Mamdani – a proud democratic socialist, not a communist.
Deportation Threats and Far-Right Fury
The matter didnt end there – other Republicans took a darker stance.
On October 29th, Tennessee Congressman Andy Ogles issued a news release demanding an investigation into Mamdani and a review of his U.S. citizenship.
Ogles accused Mamdani, without evidence, of fabricating his naturalization application and associating with “communist” and “terroristic” ideologies.
“If Mamdani lied on his naturalisation documents, he doesn’t get to be a citizen, and he certainly doesn’t get to run for mayor of New York City,” Ogles wrote.
“A great American city is on the precipice of being run by a communist who has publicly embraced a terroristic ideology. The American naturalization system requires any alignments with communism or terrorist activities to be disclosed. I’m doubtful he disclosed them. If this is confirmed, put him on the first flight back to Uganda,” Ogles said, continuing his attacks on Mamdani.
However, legal experts have quickly countered these threats. As reported by PolitiFact, there’s “no credible evidence” that Mamdani lied on his citizenship application and “denaturalization, the revocation of citizenship, requires a judicial order.” Simply put, partisan outrage is not sufficient.
‘Get Through All of Us’
As Mamdani prepares for office, he’s clearly facing a rocky political landscape. Instead of a peaceful start, he steps into a role amid increasing threats, media scrutiny, and conservative resentment. But if his previous responses are any indicator, he9s not backing down.
“To get to any of us,” Mamdani said on election night, “you will have to get through all of us.”
