According to the New York Post, House Republicans are looking into ways to prevent New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani from being sworn in as mayor if he wins Tuesday’s election.

The outlet cited the U.S. Constitution’s “insurrection clause” as the reason for preventing Mamdani from becoming mayor.

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It cites language in the post-Civil War 14th Amendment to the Constitution barring from office anyone who “engaged in insurrection or rebellion” or who has “given aid or comfort to the enemies” of the nation. The group argues that Mamdani’s own statements calling to resist ICE could violate the prohibition.

“There is a real and legitimate push to see the insurrectionist Zohran Mamdani either a) removed from the ballot or b) removed from office if he is to win on Tuesday,” Stefano Forte, president of the New York Young Republicans, told The Post.

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Republican lawmakers are keyed in on the idea and are considering rolling out legislation on it once the government shutdown ends, sources told The Post.

It’s the same provision Colorado used to try to kick former President Donald Trump off the ballot last year, only to get slapped down by the Supreme Court. The high court ruled that it was up to Congress to enforce the amendment, giving majority Republicans a chance to test their authority.

Proponents would like to see a congressional vote on declaring Mamdani ineligible, although that would mean getting it through the narrow 219-213 Republican House majority and overcoming a Senate filibuster should leaders decide to bring it to the floor.

It would also have to survive any court challenge to removing a popularly elected official. But it would create a political wedge that would force Democrats to vote either for or against a socialist whom President Trump is eager to turn into a national foil for MAGA.

Meanwhile, Trump said he would be reluctant to send federal funding to New York City if Mamdani becomes mayor.

“It’s going to be hard for me as the president to give a lot of money to New York because if you have a communist running New York, all you’re doing is wasting the money you’re sending there,” Trump said on “60 Minutes.”

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BBC noted:

The Trump administration has repeatedly tried to cut federal grants and funding for projects primarily located in Democratic-run areas.

Opinion polls indicate Mamdani is ahead of his main rival, former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, on the eve of Tuesday’s vote.

Trump did not elaborate on his remark about funding should Mamdani win. New York City received $7.4bn (£5.7bn) in federal funding this fiscal year.

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In a wide-ranging interview with CBS programme 60 Minutes on Sunday, Trump said that a Mayor Mamdani would make left-wing former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio “look great”.

“I got to see de Blasio, how bad a mayor he was, and this man will do a worse job than de Blasio by far,” the president said of Mamdani.

Trump, who grew up in the New York borough of Queens, also effectively endorsed Cuomo, a Democrat, in the interview.

“I’m not a fan of Cuomo one way or the other, but if it’s gonna be between a bad Democrat and a Communist, I’m gonna pick the bad Democrat all the time, to be honest with you,” the Republican president said.

 

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