Zohran Kwame Mandani’s Socialist Constitution Plan Undermines Founding Principles

Zohran Kwame Mandani, born in 1991 in Uganda, an authoritarian state whose leadership suppresses political opposition, free press, free expression, and peaceful assembly, migrated to New York City with his parents at age seven. After being accepted into the Bronx School of Science, he earned a degree in African studies from Bowdoin College. During his undergraduate years, Mandani embraced socialism and co-founded the Students for Justice in Palestine—an organization criticized for its anti-Semitic stance.

Returning to New York, he lived off his parents and briefly performed as a rapper. After joining the Democratic Socialists of America and the Muslim Democratic Club, he was elected to the New York State Assembly in 2019. By 2025, Mandani had been elected mayor of New York City with promises of establishing a socialist paradise. What is most disturbing is his support for a new “democratic constitution.” He and his supporters call for a second constitutional convention to draft foundational documents for a socialist democracy, which would include abolishing the U.S. Senate and extending voting rights to non-citizens.

Despite having fled an authoritarian regime, Mandani does not exhibit an enlightened understanding of American civil liberties. His City Hall speech on the eve of America’s 250th anniversary—delivered from George Washington’s desk—reveals this. In addition to acknowledging the nation’s faults, he claimed America is a country “where only a select few are allowed freedom, where not all are created equal.”

Mandani fails to grasp that the U.S. was founded on the principle that “the laws of nature and of nature’s God make men equal.” For the Founders, this meant equality before God, in law, and the right to pursue happiness. The role of government is to protect self-evident truths by representing the people, not imposing abstract schemes. Mandani’s vision of equality rejects competitive individualism that values differences in favor of egalitarian collectivism that eliminates distinctions. His approach shows no interest in economic growth or rewarding talent through industriousness.

Mandani correctly noted that patriotism is not about pretending America has no flaws. But he incorrectly defined it as “every act of righteous dissent.” Patriotism, properly understood, is unconditional love for one’s country—just as we love our mothers despite their faults.

Additionally, Mandani has a warped definition of American exceptionalism. For him, it means nothing is fixed in place. In reality, certain foundational liberties from the Declaration of Independence and U.S. Constitution remain unchanged. America’s exceptionality lies in its founding on a creed rather than blood or soil.

To understand true American exceptionalism, Mandani should consider Paul Johnson’s acclaimed work, “A History of the American People.” Johnson describes America as a nation that has overcome challenges through intelligence, skill, faith, and persistence—transforming an uninhabited wilderness into a global beacon.