Cuomo Campaign Deletes Racist AI Attack Ad Targeting Mamdani

Andrew Cuomo's mayoral campaign faced intense backlash after accidentally releasing an AI-generated attack ad during a New York City mayoral debate that portrayed supporters of rival candidate Zohran Mamdani as criminals, including a Black man in a keffiyeh shoplifting, and other figures such as pimps and drug dealers. The ad, intended to depict Mamdani as soft on crime, was quickly deleted, with Cuomo's team stating it was an unfinished draft mistakenly posted by a junior staffer. The video sparked widespread condemnation, with critics labeling it as racist and Islamophobic, especially given Mamdani's background as a Muslim and his experience with racially charged abuse during the campaign. Both Mamdani and Republican Curtis Sliwa highlighted Cuomo's controversies in the debate, including past sexual harassment allegations and Cuomo's handling of COVID-19 in nursing homes. Cuomo's campaign has yet to clarify if any disciplinary action was taken against the staffer responsible for the ad. The incident further damaged Cuomo's already struggling independent campaign following his loss in the Democratic primary to Mamdani.