New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani gave a speech on Friday marking America’s 250th year of independence, criticizing US President Donald Trump’s stance on immigration and his broader vision of the country.
Though Mamdani didn’t mention the president by name, he gave the speech sitting at what was once George Washington’s desk at City Hall, surrounded by recently naturalized citizens from around the world.
“America, they will tell you, belongs only to those with the right accent or the right shade of skin,” he said. “The rest of us, they insist, should be grateful for merely being allowed to visit. How small they are. How weak, how unoriginal.”
The mayor went on to condemn “the powerful [who] have always known their answer: America, in their view, is an arena of supremacy where only a select few are allowed freedom.”
Invoking symbols of patriotism, such as the Statue of Liberty, and historical sites like Ellis Island, he harkened back to his own journey to become a US citizen in 2018. He was born in Uganda and moved to New York when he was 7 years old.
He also denounced ICE and mentioned Elon Musk, among myriad topics, in his 15-minute address.
“We see the wealthiest country in the history of the world, one where children go to sleep hungry while the world’s first trillionaire hungers for more,” Mamdani said.
Despite his tone of ambiguous condemnation, Mamdani went on to paint a picture of a hopeful America, where citizens come together in the face of adversity.
“We see America each time neighbors link arms with neighbors without asking how long they have lived here or what papers they have as ICE invades our neighborhoods,” he added.
Mamdani’s speech took place hours before Trump was set to deliver a Fourth of July speech of his own at Mount Rushmore, followed by an elaborate fireworks display.
“Those ideals upon which our nation was built, they are strong enough to endure any authoritarian regime, but only if we reach for them,” he said.
The mayor’s words come in the wake of a series of left-wing victories for Democratic primary candidates in New York City, many of whom were endorsed by Mamdani.
This set alarm bells ringing for many Jewish leaders in the city as two pro-Israel incumbents lost their seats.
