Zohran Mamdani

Indian-origin Democratic Socialist MP Zohran Mamdani has created history by winning the New York Mayor elections. Mamdani is going to become the first Muslim and South Asian mayor of New York City. Where Mamdani has become the mayor. At the same time, many users have started dreaming of him becoming the President, meanwhile questions have arisen whether Zoharan Mamdani can become the President of the country.

There are many challenges and conditions for 34 year old Mamdani to become the President of the country. In fact, there is a section of the Constitution standing in the way of Mamdani becoming President, which has been in place for two centuries. Despite leading New York City, Mamdani can never hold the country’s highest office because according to the US Constitution, it is mandatory to be an American citizen by birth to become President.

Can one become President?

Despite growing speculation about his future in national politics, Mamdani cannot become President of the country because Article II, Section 1 of the US Constitution states that no person, except a natural born citizen of the United States, shall be eligible to the office of President.

Birthright citizen means a person who is an American citizen by birth and has not acquired citizenship through any later process. Under this definition, people who were born outside the United States to non-American parents and later became citizens through naturalization are ineligible for the presidency.

Why can’t he become President?

Mamdani was born in 1991 in Kampala, Uganda, to Indian-Ugandan parents. Later he moved to America and became an American citizen through naturalized citizenship in 2018. Since their citizenship was not obtained by birth but through naturalization. They are not considered natural-born citizens under the Constitution.

This rule is not affected by length of residence, civic leadership, experience in elected office or public support. This same constitutional rule also applies to other public figures who were born outside the United States and later became American citizens.

This ban has been publicly debated many times in history, but changing it requires a constitutional amendment — which must be approved by both houses of Congress and the states. Therefore, no matter how influential Mamdani may be in future in local or state politics, the presidency is not legally available to him.

Mamdani’s victory speech

Mamdani has created history in the elections. He won the election of New York Mayor at a time when the rising cost of lifestyle in New York City and the problems in access to affordable housing, transportation and daily necessities were increasing day by day.

Their platform included several major policy changes to address these problems — such as a citywide fare freeze, free access to public bus transportation, free access to child care facilities. After winning the election, Mamdani, while addressing his supporters, gave a message which also hinted towards the White House.

Mamdani said, New York will always be a city of immigrants, a city built by immigrants, powered by immigrants, and starting tonight, it is also led by an immigrant. So listen, President Trump, when I say: To get to us, you have to go through us all.