Newspaper Deletes Article After Admitting It Was Duped by a Fake Bill de Blasio: ‘Our Reporter Had Been Misled’

AP Photo/Charlie Neibergall

The Times of London was duped by a Bill De Blasio impersonator, with the former New York City mayor saying he was “appalled” to see the false quotes published.

“I want to be 100% clear: The story in the Times of London is entirely false and fabricated. It was just brought to my attention and I’m appalled,” De Blasio wrote on X on Tuesday.

The article in question claimed “ally” de Blasio said New York City Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani’s politics “don’t add up.”

“I never spoke to that reporter and never said those things. Those quotes aren’t mine, don’t reflect my views,” de Blasio wrote.

The story was yanked just two hours after its publication.

In a statement provided to The New York Times’ Emma G. Fitzsimmons, The Times of London admitted its reporter had been “misled.” The paper said someone had impersonated de Blasio, and it has since apologized to de Blasio and his family.

“The Times has apologised to Bill de Blasio and removed the article immediately after discovering that our reporter had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor,” the statement reads.

The Times of London is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp.

“In my view, the math doesn’t hold up under scrutiny, and the political hurdles are substantial,” the fake De Blasio told the paper.

The actual de Blasio said he actually believes Mamdani’s policies are all “achievable.”

“I demand [The Times] pull down this story immediately. It is an absolute violation of journalistic ethics,” he wrote. “The truth is I fully support [Zohran Mamdani] and believe his vision is both necessary and achievable.”

Mamdani, a self-described Democratic socialist, is currently leading former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Curtis Sliwa in most polling ahead of the November 4 election.