De Blasio Denounces Fabricated Interview About Mamdani

With less than a week before the New York City mayoral election, The Times of London published and then removed an article that falsely quoted former mayor Bill de Blasio criticizing Democratic nominee Zohran Mamdani. De Blasio — who had endorsed Mamdani — said the quotes were “entirely false and fabricated,” that he never spoke to the reporter, and reiterated his support. The Times apologized, saying it had been misled by an individual impersonating de Blasio, and the bogus quotes were rapidly amplified online and by outlets including the New York Post and a spokesperson for former governor Andrew Cuomo before the retraction. Separately, Mamdani faced scrutiny after an anecdote about an aunt avoiding the subway after 9/11 was debunked; he later said he had been referring to a distant, deceased cousin. The impersonation episode and questions about Mamdani’s personal story have intensified scrutiny of candidates and media reporting in the final days of the race.