Lt. Gov. Delgado Urges Manhattan University Students to Defend the Constitution

Manhattan University marked Constitution and Citizenship Day, Sept. 17, with a visit from Lt. Gov. Antonio Delgado. 

He urged students to view the nation’s founding charter as a living document to be challenged and reshaped for the public good.

Constitution and Citizenship Day has been observed since 2004, when Congress designated it a federal holiday honoring Sept. 17, 1787, the day the historic document was signed.

Delgado pointed to amendments made since the Constitution was ratified — including those abolishing slavery and expanding voting rights — as proof the United States is capable of change.

“It’s recognition by the founders that we always have the opportunity to be better and correct,” he told students. “The idea that we can still self-correct is part of the genius of the Constitution.”

He also noted that the celebration serves as a reminder the system only works if citizens stay engaged.

“The Constitution is meant to create guardrails around our base impulses,” he explained. “Power, I don’t care if you’re a Democrat or Republican, is self-corrupting when you have it. 

Delgado studied philosophy at Oxford, practiced law and briefly pursued a career as a hip-hop artist before entering politics. In 2018, he won a House seat in a rural upstate district long held by Republicans. Four years later, he became lieutenant governor under Hochul.

Reflecting on current threats to the Constitution, Delgado pointed to how wealth concentration and unchecked political spending have warped democratic accountability.

He referenced the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision by the U.S. Supreme Court, which struck down limits on independent political spending by corporations and unions. 

The ruling gave rise to PACs, or political action committees raising federally capped funds on candidates; super PACs, which can spend unlimited sums; and an influx of dark money, political spending in which donors often remain undisclosed.

“When you say, okay, we’re going to allow unlimited amounts of money, dark money, to just pour into our system and dictate outcomes, that breeds corruption,” Delgado said.

Officials in New York and nationwide say the Trump administration’s efforts strain the checks and balances the founders established — including threats to deploy National Guard troops to New York, bypassing rules that give governors control of their units.

In New York and other blue states, these pressures are only intensifying. Hochul and Attorney General Letitia James warned that Trump-backed proof-of-citizenship rules and new absentee ballot limits could keep thousands of eligible voters from casting ballots.

Civil rights groups, including the New York Civil Liberties Union, cite immigration raids without warrants as violations of due process and equal protection. 

Delgado also warned that polarization, disinformation and declining trust in institutions are straining the guardrails the founders designed.

“Social media has been devastating for our collective capacity to stay connected in a real way,” Delgado said. “It accelerates grievance, creates echo chambers and gives credibility that is undue to conspiracy theories.”

Still, he ended on a note of hope, stressing that students have the power to turn things around. 

“We need young people not to lose faith,” he said. “There’s going to be setbacks, disappointments. It’s inevitable, but you can’t let that make you check out.”