Bruce Blakeman, the Republican nominee for New York governor, released an AI-generated clip showing Zohran Mamdani and Kathy Hochul gardening and cycling together. The video depicts the two politicians colluding to make New York unaffordable.
Blakeman posted the clip on Tuesday. He wrote: “@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.”
He added: “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.”
Legal complaint filed
The New York State Democratic Party asked the Board of Elections to investigate Blakeman’s use of the video. They claim he is violating election law by failing to label “materially deceptive” content as AI-generated.
“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 stating: “This (image, video, or audio) has been manipulated.”
The law allows exceptions for “satire or parody.” Blakeman told News10 he believes the clip is funny. He said: “People find it humorous. They like satire. We’ve been using humor and satire in politics since the inception of our nation 250 years ago.”
Context and background
Kathy Hochul said in January she would move to ban AI-generated depictions of candidates in political ads within 90 days of an election.
Andrew Cuomo’s official campaign account posted an AI video in October 2025 that showed racist and Islamophobic stereotypes of Zohran Mamdani. That video was labelled as AI.
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.”
Blakeman has said he will end New York’s status as a sanctuary state and increase collaboration with Immigration and Customs Enforcement if elected. As Nassau County Executive in 2024, he signed a bill banning transgender athletes from playing in women and girls’ sports at county-owned facilities. Courts halted that law in 2025 following a legal challenge by the New York Civil Liberties Union.
What it means
Blakeman’s campaign is relying on a legal loophole to bypass disclosure rules. He claims the video is satire, but critics argue it presents false claims as fact. The Democratic Party is pushing the Board of Elections to enforce the law regardless of the satire defence.
