SAN DIEGO (Diya TV) — Vice President JD Vance took sharp aim at New York City mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani during a fiery speech in California, accusing the Democratic socialist of showing no gratitude toward the United States in his Independence Day message.

Speaking at the Claremont Institute’s Statesmanship Award Dinner in San Diego on Friday night, Vance marked the nation’s 249th birthday by calling out Mamdani’s July 4 post. He said the message lacked any respect or appreciation for the country that, in his words, “turned its wilderness into the most powerful nation on Earth.”

“Today is July 5, 2025,” Vance told the conservative crowd. “Which means, as all of you know, that yesterday we celebrated the 249th anniversary of the birth of our nation.”

He continued by highlighting Mamdani’s holiday message. “Now, the person who wishes to lead our largest city had, according to multiple media reports, never once publicly mentioned America’s Independence Day in earnest,” he said. “But when he did so this year, this is what he said, and this is an actual quote.”

Vance then read directly from Mamdani’s July 4 post: “America is beautiful, contradictory, unfinished. I am proud of our country, even as we constantly strive to make it better.”

To that, Vance offered a stern reply. “There’s no gratitude in those words. No sense of owing something to this land and the people who turned its wilderness into the most powerful nation on earth.”

The vice president did not stop there. He questioned whether Mamdani had any connection to the sacrifices made by past generations of Americans.

“I wonder,” Vance asked, “has he ever read the letters from boy soldiers in the Union Army to parents and sweethearts that they’d never see again? Has he ever visited the grave site of a loved one who gave their life to build the kind of society where his family could escape racial theft and racial violence?”

Then, turning his comments directly at Mamdani, Vance added, “Has he ever 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 on its most sacred day? Who the hell does he think that he is?”

Mamdani, a member of the Democratic Socialists of America and a current state assemblyman from Queens, has gained attention for his progressive stance on policing, housing, and immigrant rights. His campaign for mayor of New York City has stirred national conversation, especially among younger voters. However, his latest July 4 message sparked strong criticism from conservatives, with Vance’s remarks marking the most high-profile condemnation yet.

Vance also referenced Mamdani’s family history. He pointed out that the candidate’s father fled Uganda under the brutal regime of Idi Amin. During that time, the East African dictator launched an ethnic cleansing campaign against the country’s Indian minority.

“Zohran Mamdani’s father fled Uganda when the tyrant Idi Amin decided to cleanse his nation’s Indian population ethnically,” Vance said. “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 to his family, offering a haven from the kind of violent ethnic conflict that is commonplace in world history, but it is not commonplace here, and he dares on our 249th anniversary to congratulate it by paying homage to its ‘incompleteness’ and, as he calls it, ‘contradiction.’”

Vance’s remarks come as the 2025 presidential race heats up, with national conversations increasingly focused on patriotism, immigration, and cultural identity. As Independence Day continues to serve as a flashpoint for political messaging, both parties are using the occasion to sharpen their visions for America’s future.

Meanwhile, Mamdani has not publicly responded to the criticism. His original post, which ended with the line “Happy Independence Day. No Kings in America,” remains visible on his social media platforms. His supporters argue that his message reflects a deep love for America and a call to fulfill the country’s founding ideals. However, critics like Vance see it as a dismissal of the sacrifices that made the nation what it is today.

The vice president’s speech received a standing ovation from the conservative audience, further signaling the growing cultural divide between progressive voices and traditional institutions in America. As the campaign season unfolds, moments like these may shape the national debate and define who gets to lead its largest cities.