The Times pulls Mamdani article after de Blasio refutes quotes

The Times has pulled an article about New York mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani after former mayor Bill de Blasio refuted quotes that were attributed to him.

In a post on X on Tuesday, de Blasio, a Mamdani ally, said that "the story in the Times of London is entirely false and fabricated".

"It was just brought to my attention, and I'm appalled. I never spoke to that reporter and never said those things," he said, adding "those quotes aren't mine, don't reflect my views".

According to the article, now removed from The Times' website, De Blasio had warned of the costs to Mamdani's key policy proposals, which include free buses, freezes to rent-stabilised apartments, and free childcare.

"In my view, the math doesn't hold up under scrutiny, and the political hurdles are substantial," he was erroneously quoted as saying.

Following the removal of the article, a reporter for The New York Times reported that The Times had removed the article and apologised to Bill de Blasio.

The Times said its reporter "had been misled by an individual falsely claiming to be the former New York mayor".

In comments made to The New York Times, De Blasio said that "I've said repeatedly that everything I've heard of Zohran's vision is achievable," adding, "it may take time, but it's achievable".

Mamdani has previously labelled De Blasio as the best mayor of New York City in his lifetime.