WASHINGTON — Could Mamdani make a presidential bid? Not a chance, according to the man himself.
In a lighthearted exchange during a Sunday interview, Mayor Mamdani dismissed the notion of altering the U.S. Constitution to allow his future presidential run once he concludes his tenure in New York City.
“No,” Mamdani responded on ABC News’ “This Week” when the question arose. “I think the Constitution looks good the way it is.”
The U.S. Constitution, in Article II, Section 1, stipulates that the presidency is reserved for natural-born citizens who are at least 35 years old.
Mayor Mamdani, currently 34, hails from Uganda. He moved to the United States at around seven years old and achieved naturalized citizenship in 2018.
“I’m very excited to focus on New York City, but thank you for reminding me of my upcoming mortality,” Mamdani added, referring to how ABC News anchor Jonathan Karl referenced his upcoming 35th birthday.
During the 2025 mayoral campaign, Mamdani repeatedly needled former Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D), accusing him of setting his sights on higher office.
Despite claiming that he’s not after the presidency, Mamdani was bullish on his role as a major powerbroker in the Democratic Party.
“Let them,” Mamdani snapped back when asked about Republicans trying to make him the poster child for Dems.
“We don’t have to ask ourselves what life looks like if a socialist wins. I won last November, and over the course of these last 6 months, what we’ve delivered.”
Last week, Mamdani scored a victory over Democratic leadership when three candidates he endorsed in competitive primary races — Brad Lander, Claire Valdez, and Darializa Avila Chevalier — won.
Those three have championed a far-left agenda, with Avila Chevalier, in particular, having a history of bragging about wiping her dirty hands on the American flag, calling to abolish prisons and the border, blasting former President Joe Biden as a rapist, and more.
“I think we are seeing a hunger that is not just felt by New Yorkers, but frankly by Americans from coast to coast, for a new kind of politics, one that puts working people at the heart of it,” Mamdani said of those victories.
When pressed on Avila Chevalier’s wild positions, Mamdani contended that she had a focus on the “politics of life.”
“The focus of her candidacy was about the struggle that working people are facing,” he insisted, when pressed about her call to abandon prisons and borders.
Asked whether he wants prisons abolished, Mamdani replied, “There are prisons.”
“Safety is not something that’s up for debate.”