Andrew Cuomo Slammed After Campaign Posts Racist AI Video Of 'Criminals For Zohran Mamdani'

Former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo was criticized after his official social media pages shared—then quickly deleted—an AI-generated campaign ad depicting "Criminals for Zohran Mamdani," his democratic socialist opponent.

Mamdani handily defeated Cuomo in New York City's Democratic mayoral primary in June, sparking racist and Islamophobic backlash from right-wingers who've claimed his policies would "destroy" the city. The latest polls show Mamdani has a double-digit lead over Cuomo and Republican nominee Curtis Sliwa, who is facing calls to drop out.

Less than 20 minutes into the second mayoral debate, Cuomo’s official account, @andrewcuomo, posted the video, which was widely shared before being deleted. The two-minute clip opens with an AI-generated version of Mamdani sprinting through New York streets before cutting to him eating rice with his hands.

It then depicts a series of figures—including a Black man in a keffiyeh shoplifting, a man assaulting a woman, a sex trafficker, and a drug dealer—all portrayed as supporters of Mamdani. At one point, a smiling Mamdani releases the criminals from their jail cells. The video concludes with a shot of New York City in flames.

You can see it below.

The video's recirculation comes as Cuomo faces more criticism for suggesting that Mamdani would have put New York City in even more danger during the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, by siding with the attackers, who were Muslim.

Speaking to conservative radio host Sid Rosenberg on Sid & Friends, Cuomo said:

"Can you imagine that? … If Mamdani was in the seat on 9/11, what would have happened to this city?”

Responding to pushback, Cuomo spokesman Rich Azzopardi claimed Cuomo had been referring to Mamdani’s refusal to denounce left-wing commentator Hasan Piker, who once claimed America “deserved 9/11.” Cuomo did not mention Piker during that part of his exchange with Rosenberg, however, and Mamdani has publicly called Piker’s comments “objectionable and reprehensible.”

Cuomo was swiftly called out.

In response to the backlash against the video, Azzopardi said the video was uploaded by mistake. He called the video "a draft proposal that was neither finished nor approved, did not go through the normal legal process, and was inadvertently posted by a junior staffer—which is why it was taken down five minutes later."

Meanwhile, Mamdani told PIX 11 News that Cuomo's comments are "disgusting," saying that these are the former governor's "final moments in public life and he’s choosing to spend them making racist attacks on the person who would be the first Muslim to lead this city."

Mamdani stressed that "all Muslim New Yorkers want is to feel a sense of equality and respect that every New Yorker deserves, and even that is being denied by the former governor.”