The New york Times Issues Correction After Publishing Fabricated Quotes in Story About Zohran mamdani
NEW YORK – The New York Times issued a correction after publishing a story containing fabricated quotes attributed to former New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio regarding mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani. The article, initially published October 26, 2025, falsely claimed de Blasio questioned the mathematical viability of Mamdani’s mayoral bid. The Times removed the fabricated quotes and issued a correction, acknowledging the deception.
The incident underscores the heightened and often contentious nature of the New York City mayoral race, notably the attacks leveled against Mamdani in its final days.The false reporting, initially amplified by the New York Post and social media figures, adds to a pattern of increasingly vitriolic rhetoric surrounding the candidate, raising concerns about the spread of misinformation during a critical election period. The correction comes as Mamdani faces a barrage of criticism,including accusations of sympathizing with terrorist groups,from conservative media personalities.
The New York Post initially published the story with the fabricated quotes before updating its article after de Blasio publicly revealed the deception. A spokesperson for former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo shared the original, inaccurate article on social media, dismissing Mamdani’s policy proposals as “glitter and vibes.”
Neither The New York Times nor the author, hurley, responded to requests for comment regarding the incident.
Mamdani has been the target of particularly harsh attacks in the lead-up to the election, despite widespread calls for a more civil discourse following the recent killing of Charlie Kirk. Conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg suggested in an interview with Chris Cuomo that Mamdani would have ”cheered” on the 9/11 attacks had he been mayor, and has continued similar attacks on social media.
Rightwing media personality Steve bannon described Mamdani’s ideology as “Marxism with radical jihadist sharia supremacism,” while former Fox News journalist Megyn Kelly stated she believes Mamdani is indifferent to the 9/11 attacks. These accusations have been widely circulated online.
