Mamdani Faces Trump on America’s 250th Anniversary, Defending Immigrants from New York

On the occasion of the 250th anniversary of the United States, New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered a speech focused on the history of immigration and the weight immigrants have carried in the rise of the city, drawing a sharp contrast with the approach of President Donald Trump, who during his second term has pursued tough anti-immigration policies.

From New York City Hall, in front of the desk that once belonged to the first American president, George Washington, Mamdani spoke surrounded by naturalized citizens. He highlighted generations of immigrants, including Irish, Chinese, Jewish, Italian, Syrian and many others, who, despite facing discrimination and restrictive laws, built their lives in New York and contributed to shaping the city.

He stressed that the American principle of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness belongs not only to the past, but must serve every generation and every citizen. Referring to a recent Supreme Court ruling that blocked Trump’s efforts to limit birthright citizenship, Mamdani said that the foundation of America is inclusion, not exclusion.

“Despite laws passed by the federal government to keep them out and other hardships, immigrants built their lives here in New York City and helped shape it. Patriotism does not mean pretending that our country is perfect. Patriotism is every righteous act of dissent. Precisely because we love this country, we will not abandon it,” Mamdani said.

In his remarks, the mayor also shared his own experience as an immigrant. Born in Uganda, he moved to New York when he was seven years old and became an American citizen in 2018. According to him, for many generations of immigrants, the first image of America has been the Statue of Liberty and New York, as a sign of hope and welcome.

Mamdani also criticized the view of those who, in his words, see America as a country that belongs only to certain people, those with “the right accent” or “the right skin color.” He warned that division and exclusion have repeatedly been used as political tools to secure power and wealth, while calling for unity and resistance to divisive policies.

His speech was delivered only a few hours apart from that of Donald Trump, who from Mount Rushmore declared that the United States is the most powerful country in the world and called communism “a danger.”

“We have the fairest and longest-lasting Constitution in the world. We are the strongest and most powerful country in the world and, by the grace of God, the United States is the most successful nation, with the most extraordinary achievements and the most admired that has ever existed in the history of mankind. And it is an honor to be your president…,” Trump said.