Did Bill de Blasio turn on Zohran Mamdani? Impersonator dupes British newspaper, stirs up NYC mayoral race

In an extraordinary case of journalistic deception, former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio has denounced a fabricated interview published by The Times of London that falsely quoted him criticising Democratic mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani — a candidate he has consistently and publicly endorsed.

What did The Times of London publish — and how did it go wrong?

On Tuesday, The Times of London published an article quoting de Blasio expressing “concerns” about Mamdani’s policy proposals. The quotes — later proven to be entirely fictitious — included remarks suggesting that Mamdani’s plans lacked fiscal credibility.

The publication swiftly removed the story after discovering that an impostor posing as former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio had duped its reporter.

“The Times has apologised to Bill de Blasio and removed the article immediately after discovering that our reporter had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor,” a spokeswoman for The Times of London said.

Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp-owned newspaper, with a 240-year history, described the incident a “serious breach” of trust.

How did de Blasio respond?

An outraged de Blasio took to X to set the record straight, calling the report “entirely false and fabricated.”

“I want to be 100% clear: The story in The Times of London is entirely false and fabricated. It was just brought to my attention and I’m appalled. I never spoke to that reporter and never said those things. Those quotes aren’t mine, don’t reflect my views,” de Blasio posted.

Bill De Blasio demanded that The Times retract the article immediately. He said, “I demand the @thetimes pull down this story immediately. It is an absolute violation of journalistic ethics. The truth is I fully support @ZohranKMamdani and believe his vision is both necessary and achievable.”

Speaking later to The New York Times, de Blasio said he was “astounded.”

“It’s a complete fabrication,” he said.

Why is Mamdani’s campaign at the centre of attention?

Zohran Mamdani, a progressive Democrat and state assemblyman, has positioned himself as a left-wing reformer who promises to make buses free, freeze rent on rent-stabilised apartments and offer universal childcare.

De Blasio reaffirmed his support for those policies, saying they were “achievable,” even if they would take time to implement.

“I’ve said repeatedly that everything I’ve heard of Zohran’s vision is achievable,” de Blasio said. “It may take time, but it’s achievable.”

He drew parallels between Mamdani’s agenda and his own efforts to introduce universal prekindergarten during his tenure as mayor.

Mamdani, for his part, has frequently described de Blasio as “the best mayor of my lifetime.”

What did the fake quotes say?

The fabricated article had quoted de Blasio as saying: “In my view, the math doesn’t hold up under scrutiny, and the political hurdles are substantial.”

The quote was quickly seized upon by political opponents. A spokesman for Mamdani’s main rival, Andrew Cuomo, shared a New York Post story about the fabricated interview, claiming that de Blasio had finally “read the fine print” on Zohran Mamdani’s plans and found them to be “made only of glitter and vibes.”

De Blasio later dismissed the entire episode as “deeply troubling” and reiterated his confidence in Mamdani’s campaign.

“I believe in his vision,” he told The New York Times on Tuesday.