The Republican Nominee for New York Governor Made a Creepy, AI-Generated Video of Mamdani and Hochul

Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, posted an AI-generated video on Tuesday depicting New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul in satirical scenarios, prompting the New York State Democratic Party to file a complaint with the Board of Elections alleging violation of a state law requiring disclosure of materially deceptive AI content. Blakeman defended the video as satire, which is exempt under the law, while Hochul's campaign criticized his record without addressing the AI use.

Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, posted an AI-generated video imagining New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and Governor Kathy Hochul hanging out, bizarrely gardening together, riding bikes, and vaguely colluding about making the state unaffordable. ".@KathyHochul and @ZohranKMamdani think they can cure New York’s cost-of-living crisis with excuses, empty promises, and 'delusion pills.' The real side effects of their policies aren't a joke: 48 utility rate hikes, higher taxes, uncontrollable government spending, and businesses fleeing our state every single day," Blakeman wrote in the post https://x.com/NassauExec/status/2094800565452611646?ref=404media.co on Tuesday. "I have a different plan for New York. As Governor, I will deliver zero state income tax on your first $50,000, $100,000 for joint filers, cut your utility bills in half, and end the government waste." ABC News10 reported https://www.news10.com/news/ny-capitol-news/blakeman-defends-use-of-ai-in-campaign-ads-against-hochul/?ref=404media.co that the New York State Democratic Party filed a complaint asking the Board of Elections to investigate Blakeman's use of AI in political communication materials, claiming that he's violating the state's election law that requires "materially deceptive" content to be labeled as AI-generated. The law states https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/ELN/14-106?ref=404media.co : "A person, firm, association, corporation, campaign, committee, or organization that distributes or publishes any political communication that was produced by or includes materially deceptive media and has actual knowledge that it is materially deceptive shall be required to disclose this use." The law requires a disclosure displayed directly on the media in an easily readable font saying, "This image, video, or audio has been manipulated." The law carves out exceptions for "satire or parody." Blakeman seems to be invoking that clause, and told News10 that he thinks people like it. “People find it humorous. They like satire,” he said. “We’ve been using humor and satire in politics since the inception of our nation 250 years ago.” In January https://www.nytimes.com/2026/01/11/nyregion/ny-hochul-ai-candidates.html?ref=404media.co , Hochul said she'd move to ban AI generated depictions of candidates in political ads within 90 days of an election. , disgraced New York governor and then-mayoral candidate Andrew Cuomo's official campaign account posted an AI-generated video that showed a barrage of racist, Islamophobic stereotypes, including of his then-opponent for mayor, Mamdani. That video was labeled as AI. https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2025/10/23/cuomo-mamdani-attacks-new-york/?ref=404media.co In 2025 About Blakeman's AI video, Hochul’s campaign told News 10 in a statement: “While Blakeman’s resorted to straight up lying to New Yorkers, Team Hochul doesn’t need AI ads to tell them about him jacking up property taxes on Long Islanders more than once, letting violent crime hit decade highs on his watch, or running an armed MAGA militia that undercuts local cops – he did all that in real life.” If elected, Blakeman says https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/12/nyregion/bruce-blakeman-governor-ny.html?ref=404media.co he'll end New York's status as a sanctuary state and increase the state's collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement. In 2024, as Nassau County Executive, Blakeman signed a bill, which he wrote, into law that from playing in women and girls' sports at county-owned athletic facilities. In 2025, https://abc7ny.com/post/long-island-new-york-politics-nassau-county-legislature/15060816/?ref=404media.co banned transgender athletes in response to the New York Civil Liberties Union's legal challenge calling it a violation of antidiscrimination laws. https://www.nyclu.org/commentary/a-new-york-appellate-court-halts-anti-trans-sports-ban?ref=404media.co courts halted that law