New York City Mayoral candidate Zohran Kwame Mamdani turned racially motivated insults into a moment of levity, announcing a personal trip to Uganda in a video trolling far-right critics.
Mamdani, a democratic socialist, shared a video on Sunday revealing he's headed to Uganda to celebrate his recent marriage to his wife, Rama. As a Muslim immigrant, Mamdani's identity has been the subject of frequent xenophobic messages — a topic he leaned into.
Quoting a user who wrote, "Zohran go back to Uganda where you come from and belong," Mamdani deadpanned, "I hear you. And I agree: I'm going back to Uganda."
"But I do want to apologize to the haters," he continued. "Because I will be coming back."
Good morning! I'm in Uganda to visit family and friends.
— Zohran Kwame Mamdani (@ZohranKMamdani) July 20, 2025
But depending on your perspective, don't worry or I'm sorry: I'll be back by the end of the month.
See you soon, NYC. pic.twitter.com/fIOf5NcZqy
The video ended with Mamdani firing off a series of pun-heavy headline suggestions for the New York Post, including, "Uganda Miss Me," "He's Kampala-etely Crazy," "He Africa-can't Be Serious!" and "Zo-Running Away."
Before moving to New York at age 7, Mamdani was raised in Uganda by Indian-American and Indian-Ugandan parents. Despite obtaining citizenship in the US, Rep. Andy Ogles has called for his deportation, and President Donald Trump stated he'd look into whether Mamdani is "here illegally."
Mamdani poked fun at the right-wing criticism. "Being a politician means listening," he said. "Not just to your supporters, but to your critics too."
He even alluded to a particular source of criticism coming "especially from a certain website." Mamdani was likely referencing X, where comment moderation was significantly rolled back with billionaire CEO Elon Musk's purchase of the platform in 2022.
Mamdani acknowledged both his critics and supporters in the video's caption, assuring he'd be back in New York by the end of the month: "Depending on your perspective, don't worry or I'm sorry."
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