Democrats who have not endorsed Zohran Mamdani offered cautioned defenses as President Donald Trump threatens to deport the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.
Trump hinted at the need to deport Mamdani during a press conference in Ochopee, Florida after he visited the state’s “Alligator Alcatraz,” which will serve as a detention center for migrants.
“Look, we don’t need a communist in this country, but if we have one, I’m going to be watching over them very carefully on behalf of the nation,” Trump said at the time.
Mamdani became the latest target of the president after state assemblyman in New York’s state legislature pulled off an upset victory to become the Democratic nominee for mayor of New York City.
The self-identified democratic socialist beat former governor Andrew Cuomo – who, despite resigning from office in disgrace after reports of sexual misconduct, received the support of much of the state’s Democratic establishment.
Rep. Adriano Espaillat, the chairman of the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, endorsed Cuomo but defended Mamdani from the attack to The Independent.
“That means they will have to revoke his citizenship,” Espaillat. “I think that’s totally unconstitutional.”
Espaillat is no stranger to Republican anti-immigrant xenophobia. In March, when he delivered the Spanish response to Trump’s joint address to Congress, the National Republican Congressional Committee tweeted that “Democrats literally chose an illegal immigrant to give their response to President Trump’s address.”
Espaillat’s family came to the United States from the Dominican Republic, but overstayed a tourist visa, a common form of illegal immigration. Espaillat later became a U.S. citizen.
Mamdani was born in Uganda and emigrated to the United States as a child. He became a citizen in 2018. Nevertheless, Republican Rep. Andy Ogles called for his deportation and called him “Little Muhammad.”
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, who has yet to endorse Mamdani, said to The Independent “That’s disgusting” last week during a press conference.
Surprisingly, Rep. James Clyburn of South Carolina endorsed Cuomo. But The Independent asked Clyburn about Trump’s comments, Clyburn simply laughed.
“I don’t add credbility to stuff he says,” he said. When asked about the fact he endorsed Cuomo, Clyburn told The Independent, “So? What’s that got to do with it?”
Many Democrats continue to have reservations about Mamdani. Some supporters of Israel in the party, criticized him for not denouncing the phrase “Globalize the Intifada” because he said it had different meanings for different groups of people.
Mamdani said in a podcast interview with The Bulwark that phrase can be used to incite violence but also to advocate for the rights of Palestinians against the Israeli government.
But Rep. Dan Goldman of New York, a major supporter of Israel who met with Mamdani last week, criticized the remarks by Trump.
“How can you deport a US citizen?” Goldman said.
So far, few lawmakers have endorsed him. But one of the few members of Congress who endorsed him, Rep. Jerry Nadler, who is Jewish, defended him.
“Zohran Mamdani is a citizen of the United States,” Nadler told The Independent. “There is no grounds to deport him whatsoever. The president is out of his mind.”
