Became citizen in 2018
He arrived in the U.S. from Uganda in 1998, when he was just seven years old. After living for years as a lawful permanent resident, he became a U.S. citizen in 2018 – a step that allowed him to eventually run for office.
Now, as the assemblyman prepares to take the reins of City Hall, Mamdani’s historic win has sparked intense backlash – not just from critics, but from some of the most powerful voices in conservative politics, including President Donald Trump.
ICE, threats, and retaliation
The attacks on Mamdani had already started months before Election Day.
During his primary victory speech in June 2025, Mamdani pledged to “stop masked ICE agents from deporting our neighbors.”
The bold promise quickly drew national attention – and a sharp response from Trump, who according to ABC News, said, “Well then, we’ll have to arrest him.”
The POTUS – who at the time called the mayor-elect a “nut job” – also echoed baseless claims that Mamdani is in the country unlawfully.
“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.”
‘Will not accept this intimidation’
Mamdani didn’t stay silent. He posted a statement on X in response: “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 will refuse to let ICE terrorize our city.”
He 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,” he added in his July 1 post.
‘Going to have problems with Washington’
As Election Day approached, Trump escalated his attacks. On Truth Social, he labeled Mamdani a “self-proclaimed New York City Communist” and declared that his candidacy would benefit Republicans.
“Self-proclaimed New York City Communist, Zohran Mamdani, who is running for Mayor, will prove to be one of the best things to ever happen to our great Republican Party,” Trump wrote on Truth Social, 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,” he ranted over Mamdani – a self-proclaimed democratic socialist, not communist.
