A Mamdani presidency would require changing the Constitution, but New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani rejected that idea in a June 28, 2026, interview on ABC News. His answer separates the mayor’s own position from online advocacy for making naturalized citizens eligible for the White House.
Asked by Jonathan Karl whether the natural-born citizenship requirement should be changed, Mamdani answered, “No.” He added: “I think the Constitution looks good the way it is.”
The exchange is documented in ABC’s published transcript. It was not a presidential campaign announcement, and its June date matters when the remarks are shared alongside more recent political discussion.
Why a Mamdani presidency faces a constitutional barrier
Article II of the Constitution requires presidents to be natural-born citizens, at least 35 years old and residents of the United States for at least 14 years. It also contains a historical exception for people who were citizens when the Constitution was adopted.
Mamdani was born in Kampala, Uganda, and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in 2018, according to Associated Press reporting. His naturalization, rather than his birthplace alone, is the central distinction in his presidential eligibility.
Being born outside the United States does not automatically mean someone lacks citizenship at birth. Federal law recognizes citizenship at birth for some children born abroad to U.S. citizens, depending on the circumstances.
Cornell Law School’s Legal Information Institute distinguishes citizenship acquired at birth from citizenship obtained later through naturalization. It also notes unresolved questions about the precise boundaries of the constitutional phrase. Those questions should not be confused with Mamdani’s documented naturalization as an adult.
Hourly Times previously examined claims about Mamdani’s citizenship and Trump’s arrest threat. Presidential eligibility and whether someone holds U.S. citizenship are separate questions: the constitutional restriction does not mean a naturalized citizen is not American.
The Constitution sets different citizenship qualifications for Congress: House members must have been citizens for at least seven years, while senators must have been citizens for at least nine. The presidency’s separate natural-born requirement should not be treated as a general ban on naturalized Americans holding federal office.
Online advocacy does not establish a campaign
A website called Let Zohran Run advocates removing the natural-born citizenship restriction. It provides suggested letters urging lawmakers to support an amendment and presents Mamdani as a reason to change the rule.
However, the website expressly describes itself as a conceptual project for illustration and civic advocacy. It says it is not authorized by or affiliated with Mamdani or an official campaign.
That disclaimer limits what the page establishes. It documents advocacy on the website, not the mayor’s endorsement, a party decision or a measure of national public opinion. A proposed Mamdani presidency should therefore be distinguished from an announced candidacy.
Changing the rule would require an amendment
The National Archives’ explanation of the amendment process sets out two routes for proposing a constitutional change. Congress can propose one with two-thirds support in both the House and Senate. Alternatively, applications from two-thirds of state legislatures can trigger a convention for proposing amendments.
A proposal must then be ratified by three-fourths of the states, either through state legislatures or conventions, as Congress specifies. With 50 states, that means 38 must ratify it.
The president does not sign or veto a constitutional amendment. An online petition, a party endorsement or a simple majority vote in Congress would not, by itself, remove the eligibility requirement.
For supporters seeking a Mamdani presidency, the legal hurdle therefore extends beyond persuading voters to support one politician. The constitutional text would have to change through Article V’s proposal and ratification process.
Article V does not provide for a nationwide popular referendum on a federal amendment. Readers answering an online question are expressing a preference, rather than participating in the constitutional ratification process.
The vice presidency has an eligibility rule too
The Twelfth Amendment states that someone constitutionally ineligible to be president is also ineligible to be vice president. Naming Mamdani as a running mate would therefore not avoid the citizenship restriction.
For now, the existing constitutional rule remains the governing standard. Any future amendment effort would need an identifiable proposal and the required approvals; the verified June interview shows Mamdani declining to seek that change for himself.
