Overview

• Vance criticized Mamdani’s July 4 social media post, which described America as “beautiful, contradictory, unfinished,” arguing it showed “no gratitude.”
• Speaking at the Claremont Institute on July 5, the vice president asked, “Who the hell does he think that he is?” as he delivered his rebuke.
• He underscored Mamdani’s family history of fleeing Idi Amin’s ethnic cleansing in Uganda to emphasize an indebtedness to the United States.
• More than three days after the July 4 post, Mamdani’s campaign has not publicly responded to Vance’s remarks.
• Conservative and right-leaning outlets have amplified the exchange as a reflection of wider debates over patriotism and immigrant narratives ahead of the New York City mayoral election.