‘Who the hell does he think he is?’ – Vance rips NYC mayoral candidate Mamdani

VP says Democrat frontrunner insulted U.S. on Independence Day, questions if he understands nation’s sacrifice.

By David Brummer, World Israel News

Vice President JD Vance launched a scathing attack on New York City mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani during a fiery Fourth of July weekend speech, accusing the Democrat of disrespecting the United States on its “most sacred day.”

Speaking at the Claremont Institute’s Statesmanship Award Dinner in San Diego on Saturday, Vance began by marking the nation’s 249th Independence Day.

He then turned his attention to Mamdani, a Democratic socialist who recently secured his party’s nomination after defeating former Governor Andrew Cuomo.

“The person who wishes to lead our largest city had, according to multiple reports, never once publicly mentioned America’s Independence Day in earnest,” Vance said, according to Fox News.

“But when he did so this year, this is what he said.”

He then read Mamdani’s July 4 social media post, which said in part: “America is beautiful, contradictory, unfinished. I am proud of our country, even as we constantly strive to make it better.”

Vance took issue with the tone of Mamdani’s message, accusing him of lacking gratitude.

“There was no sense of owing something to this land,” he said. “No recognition of the people who turned its wilderness into the most powerful nation on earth.”

The vice president didn’t stop there. He criticized Mamdani’s voter base as a coalition built on “elite disaffection,” made up of “downwardly mobile, college-educated people” and “carefully selected ethnic blocs” mobilized by identity politics, the Signal reported.

“What unites Islamists, gender studies majors, socially liberal white urbanites, and Big Pharma lobbyists?” Vance asked. “It’s hatred.”

Vance also took aim at Mamdani’s statements on foreign leaders.

“Why is a mayoral candidate in our biggest city whining about banning Netanyahu?” he said.

“Why is he attacking Narendra Modi or talking about globalizing the intifada? What the hell does that even mean in Manhattan?”

He questioned whether Mamdani appreciates the freedoms offered by the U.S.

“Has he ever read the letters from Union soldiers who never came home?” Vance asked.

“Has he looked in the mirror and recognized that he might not be alive were it not for the generosity of a country he dares to insult?”

“Who the hell does he think that he is?” the vice president said to applause.

WATCH Vice President JD Vance absolutely TORCH the next likely Mayor of NYC for disrespecting America on our Independence Day:

“Mamdani's family fled violent racial hatred only for him to come to this country—a country built by people he never knew, overflowing with generosity… pic.twitter.com/bDr5orCkvF

— Charlie Kirk (@charliekirk11) July 8, 2025



Vance also referenced Mamdani’s family history, noting that they fled Uganda under Idi Amin’s regime.

“His family found refuge in the U.S. after escaping ethnic cleansing,” he said.

“And yet, on our 249th anniversary, he chooses to highlight this country’s ‘incompleteness.’”

The vice president framed Mamdani’s rise as part of a larger shift in the Democratic Party.

“This coalition might work in a New York primary,” he said, “but it won’t work across the United States.”

He ended by contrasting Mamdani’s rhetoric with U.S. President Donald Trump’s consistent messaging.

“Trump didn’t just say what was bad,” Vance said.

“He offered a vision people could believe in. That’s statesmanship.”

Mamdani’s campaign did not respond to a request for comment from Fox News Digital.

Andrew CuomoDonald TrumpJD VanceNew York CityUS Independence DayZohran Mamdani