Andrew Cuomo’s NYC mayoral campaign has retracted an AI-generated advertisement that portrayed Zohran Mamdani’s supporters as engaging in criminal activities. The ad, which appeared to depict illegal actions, was posted on Wednesday before being removed the following day. Mamdani criticized the ad as ‘disgusting,’ and the campaign stated that the ad had not been completed at the time.
The ad depicted supporters of rival candidate Zohran Mamdani committing crimes like burglary, looting, drunk driving, and human trafficking. The campaign posted the ad Wednesday night before quickly taking it down. Mamdani called the ad ‘just disgusting’ in a response on social media.
Cuomo campaign spokesman Rich Azzopardi told the New York Times that the video was ‘posted in error’ and ‘wasn’t done yet.’ The ad’s release came around the same time that Cuomo, Mamdani, and Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa participated in a mayoral debate Wednesday night.
Mamdani and Sliwa took the opportunity during Wednesday’s debate to drill down on past sexual harassment allegations against Cuomo, the former governor of New York, ahead of an impeachment inquiry that preceded Cuomo’s 2021 resignation.
Cuomo was also hit by Mamdani over accusations he has – while in public office – failed to meet with Muslim constituents and only began doing so amid pressure from his mayoral campaign, and over his alleged poor handling of the COVID-19 pandemic in New York after Cuomo was party to issuing guidance forcing nursing homes and long-term care facilities to admit COVID-19-positive patients.
Cuomo, in turn, targeted Mamdani over controversies that have embattled his campaign. Cuomo blasted the self-proclaimed socialist over his lack of experience, ties to radical politics, and past radical comments about law enforcement, Israel, and the situation in Gaza.
‘My main opponent has no new ideas. He has no new plan.… He’s never run anything, managed anything. He’s never had a real job,’ Cuomo said of Mamdani during the debate. Cuomo also branded Mamdani as someone who has proven to be ‘a divisive force in New York,’ pointing to past incidents that have garnered Mamdani heat from critics.
Fox News’ Alec Schemmel contributed to this report.