Overview
- Bill de Blasio called the story "entirely false and fabricated," said he never spoke to the reporter, demanded its removal, and reaffirmed his support for Zohran Mamdani.
- The Times of London said its reporter was misled by someone falsely claiming to be de Blasio and removed the article, issuing an apology to the former mayor.
- Multiple outlets reported the takedown occurred roughly 90 minutes after publication, by which time the fabricated quotes had spread online.
- The retracted piece criticized Mamdani’s proposals, with the impostor claiming "the math doesn’t hold up" and citing costs "exceeding $7 billion" for ideas like free buses, universal child care, and a rent freeze.
- The New York Post picked up the story before updating it, and an Andrew Cuomo spokesperson shared it on social media; the paper has not explained how the impersonation occurred, and reporting named Bevan Hurley as the interviewed reporter.