Zohran Mamdani attends an endorsement event from Union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
The mayoral hopeful said he was headed to Uganda "in a personal capacity" to celebrate his marriage to his wife, Rama, with their family and friends.
"I do want to apologize to the haters, because I will be coming back," he said. Mamdani added in the accompanying X post that he'd be back "by the end of the month."
Attempting to assert control over the narrative, Mamdani offered some imaginary headlines condemning his overseas travel.
"And since you will undoubtedly read about this trip in the New York Post, inshallah [Arabic for God willing], on the front page, here are a few of my humble suggestions for headlines," Mamdani said, jabbing at the New York-based newspaper.
He proposed tabloid headlines including "M.I.A.? Mandani in Africa," "Uganda Miss Me," or "He's Kampala-etely Crazy," a reference to Kampala, the capital and largest city of Uganda.
Mamdani also suggested the headlines: "He Africa-n't Be Serious!" and "Carl Kampalanile Investigates Mamdani" – a satirical take on the name of American investigative journalist Carl Bernstein, who uncovered the Watergate scandal.
"Zo-Running Away?" Mamdani said, offering one last imagined headline before the video showed himself and another campaign supporter waving to the camera and the screen fading to "Zohran for Mayor."
Sen. Bernie Sanders and Zohran Mamdani enter an elevator after a meeting in the Dirksen Senate Office Building on July 16, 2025, in Washington, D.C. (Michael M. Santiago/Getty Images)
Mamdani himself has defended BDS, or the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions, saying at a May town hall that the anti-Israel movement "is consistent with my core of my politics, which is nonviolence."
Critics of Mamdani have also condemned how he's campaigned on socialist ideals, including government-run grocery stores and rent freezes, despite his wealthy upbringing.
Having won the Democratic mayoral primary, Mamdani has emerged as the frontrunner, and he is backed by progressives in Congress, including Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-N.Y., and Sen. Bernie Sanders, I-Vt.
Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-N.Y., have been more cautious with Mamdani.
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It's extremely rare for candidates who win the Democratic mayoral primary to lose the November general election, but Mamdani still faces Cuomo, who formally declared his independent mayoral bid last week. Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams is also running as an independent, as is former federal prosecutor Jim Walden. "Guardian Angels" founder Curtis Sliwa is the Republican mayoral candidate.
Fox News' Andrew Mark Miller, Cameron Cawthorne and Deirdre Heavy contributed to this report.
Danielle Wallace is a breaking news and politics reporter at Fox News Digital. Story tips can be sent to danielle.wallace@fox.com and on X: @danimwallace.
https://www.foxnews.com/politics/mamdani-unapologetically-announces-extended-africa-trip-while-campaigning-mayor-americas-largest-city