New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s endorsement was enough to usher in a slate of Democratic Socialists to victory in primary elections this last week, sparking new questions about his own political ambitions.
In a Sunday interview with ABC’s Jonathan Karl, Mamdani was asked if he has eyed a political future beyond New York City, and even a potential presidential run.
Mamdani, 34 and with an October birthday approaching, is just a few months shy of passing the minimum age requirement for a sitting US President.
However, the NYC mayor will still be ineligible to run for the highest office.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, in 1991 and did not become a naturalized US citizen until 2018. Candidates for president must be natural born citizens in order to run for the office.
On Sunday, Karl probed Mamdani on that hurdle, asking if he would be in favor of changing the ‘natural born’ eligibility of a US citizen to run for President.
‘Do you think that’s a, that’s a — something that should be changed in the constitution?’ Karl asked.
‘It would take an amendment, but do you think that that’s — we should change that,’ he further questioned.
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani speaks during a primary-night watch party for NYC Congressional candidate Claire Valdez. Valdez was one of three progressive candidates endorsed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani who won their primaries last Tuesday
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani was asked by ABC’s Jonathan Karl if the constitution should be changed to allow him to run for president
‘No,’ Mamdani replied, before adding, ‘I think the constitution looks good the way it is.’
‘I’m very excited to focus on New York City, but thank you for reminding me of my upcoming mortality,’ Mamdani also noted just as Karl was wrapping up the interview.
Changing the constitution’s presidential eligibility requirements has been a subject of discussion among political leaders in recent months, particularly since the start of President Donald Trump’s second term.
Just three days into Trump’s second term, Representative Andy Ogles, a Tennessee Republican, sent out a proposal to amend the 22nd Amendment to open the door for a third Trump term.
Ogles’ Constitutional amendment would allow for Trump to run for a third term – but prohibit Obama from doing so, because the Democrat had already served two consecutive terms.
The other former two-term living presidents, Republican George W. Bush and Democrat Bill Clinton, also wouldn’t be eligible if this amendment was passed.
‘No person shall be elected to the office of the President more than three times, nor be elected to any additional term after being elected to two consecutive term,’ the text of the Ogles’ Amendment read.
There’s an incredibly high bar to pass a Constitutional amendment – as two-thirds of both the House and Senate would need to sign on – as well as three-fourths of the state legislatures.
With the current nearly 50/50 split in the country of Republicans and Democrats it’s extremely unlikely an amendment of this kind would pass – especially one that only aims to allow Trump to serve thrice.
