New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani delivered a speech at City Hall on July 3, 2026, commemorating America's 250th birthday. Sitting behind the George Washington desk and surrounded by recently naturalized citizens, Mamdani focused on the power of immigrants and the significance of immigration rights.

Mamdani, a naturalized citizen who arrived in the U.S. from Uganda at age seven, reflected on the transformation of New York City since George Washington's time. "The city I see today looks very different from the one that greeted George Washington," he said.

He highlighted the waves of immigrants who arrived in poverty and practiced various religions, underscoring their role in shaping the nation. Mamdani spoke about the idea of American exceptionalism, stating, "That legacy of every generation of Americans insisting that the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness is no relic of the past."

He also noted that despite historical divisions, "time and again, including 250 years ago, those forces of division have been vanquished by the forces of progress."

The speech preceded President Trump's America 250 address scheduled for later that day in South Dakota.

Sources