Times Pulls Article After De Blasio Impersonation

Former New York City mayor Bill de Blasio — who had publicly endorsed mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani — was falsely quoted in an apparent exclusive published by The Times of London that criticized Mamdani’s policy proposals, including a line that “the math doesn’t hold up under scrutiny.” The paper discovered the interview came from an impersonator who had misled a reporter, pulled the piece within roughly two hours of publication, and apologized. De Blasio denounced the article as entirely false and fabricated, said he never spoke to the reporter, demanded it be taken down, and reiterated his full support for Mamdani. The episode was widely reported and has highlighted verification risks in fast-moving political coverage ahead of the Nov. 4 election.