The New York Young Republican Club (NYYRC) is urging the council to invoke a disqualification clause to bar Zohran Mamdani, a candidate for New York City mayor, from holding office.
In a letter, the NYYRC requested Congress to activate what’s known as the rebellion clause under Section 3 of the 14th Amendment, seeking to deem Mamdani “disqualified” from the mayoral role in New York City.
Section 3 of Article 14 outlines circumstances involving senators, representatives of Congress, and other officials who have taken an oath and subsequently engaged in or aided a rebellion against the United States; Congress holds the authority to remove such barriers through a two-thirds vote in each chamber.
The NYYRC accuses Mamdani of offering “assistance or support to the enemy” of the U.S. in both his words and actions. They’ve pointed to his public refusal to collaborate with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), asserting that he has participated in protests connected to a pro-Hamas group.
According to the NYYRC, “Mamdani has provided assistance or support to the enemy of the United States, both through his words and actions.” They highlighted that despite taking an oath to uphold the U.S. Constitution, his actions, including joining pro-Hamas protests and calling for violence against Jewish individuals, reveal his anti-American stance.
Additionally, the letter claims that Mamdani has publicly indicated a refusal to cooperate with ICE and has directed New York City agencies to adopt policies that align with this stance. This is significant given that, under former President Trump, ICE focused on identifying and apprehending alleged terrorists in New York.
Philregio, the recording secretary for the NYYRC, told the New York Post that the letter came about after Rep. Andy Ogles (R-TN) called on the Justice Department to investigate Mamdani for possible wrongdoing.
As previously reported, several Democrats, including Rep. Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ) and Lauren Gillen (D-NY), have criticized Mamdani, stating that New York City doesn’t need a “socialist” candidate who jeopardizes jobs and raises taxes.
“There’s no ambiguity in my stance,” Gottheimer said in a CNBC interview. “We don’t need socialists who kill jobs that want to raise taxes or support anti-Semitic rhetoric.”
Mamdani has proposed the establishment of city-run grocery stores, suggesting that “funds from corporate supermarkets” could be redirected to these city-owned stores.
Past comments by Mamdani, particularly from a July 2020 “Immigration” podcast, have drawn criticism as well.
Police are not creating safety. We’ve assigned far too much responsibility to them, and, honestly, the department shouldn’t handle every issue. For example, if someone is jaywalking or facing domestic violence, those situations require specific, trained responses, not just a policing approach.
Jewish Democrats have expressed concern about Mamdani, particularly regarding his failure to denounce the phrase “globalize the Intifadas.” Notably, he refused to sign measures recognizing Israel and condemning the Holocaust, although he insists he has voted for a resolution honoring Holocaust Remembrance Day.
