Fake News After Mamdani

The Rise of Fake News on Social Media After Zohran Mamdani’s Historic Win

by Mahamudul Hasan Gayen

Zohran Mamdani’s stunning victory as New York City’s first Muslim and South Asian mayor on November 4, 2025, sent shockwaves across the political landscape, but it also unleashed a torrent of misinformation on social media platforms that threatened to undermine the legitimacy of his win. Within hours of the election results being certified, false narratives began circulating at lightning speed, amplified by algorithmic feeds and partisan influencers eager to paint Mamdani as a dangerous radical whose policies would destroy the city. From fabricated stories about mass police resignations to rumors of major retailers fleeing New York, these viral lies reached millions of users, exposing the dark underbelly of new media in the aftermath of a historic democratic upset. While Mamdani’s campaign had masterfully harnessed TikTok, Instagram, and X to mobilize young and diverse voters, the same tools were now being weaponized against him, turning celebration into chaos and forcing fact-checkers, journalists, and even ordinary citizens into a frantic race to contain the damage.

The first wave of fake news emerged almost immediately after Mamdani’s 50.4 per cent victory over Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa was announced. A post on X, shared by a verified account with over 300,000 followers, claimed that 5,000 NYPD officers had submitted their resignations in protest of Mamdani’s pledge to reform police funding and prioritize community safety programs. The message, accompanied by a grainy photo of officers turning in badges, exploded across the platform, racking up 2.1 million views and 48,000 reposts within 24 hours. Hashtags like #NYPDExodus and #MamdaniMeltdown trended nationwide, fueled by conservative commentators who framed the resignations as proof that Mamdani’s “socialist agenda” would leave the city defenseless. In reality, the NYPD issued a statement the following morning confirming that no such mass resignations had occurred, and the photo was traced back to a 2020 protest unrelated to the election. Yet the lie had already taken root, with local Facebook groups in Staten Island and Queens sharing screenshots of the post as evidence that “crime would skyrocket” under Mamdani’s leadership.

            Not to be outdone, another rumor quickly followed, this one targeting the city’s economy. A viral TikTok video, viewed 3.7 million times, showed empty shelves at a Brooklyn Walmart with a voiceover claiming that the retail giant was closing all 23 of its New York City stores because Mamdani’s proposed tax on corporations with over $1 billion in revenue would make business “impossible.” The video ended with a call to action: “Stock up now before the communists take over!” Shared widely on Instagram Reels and WhatsApp chains, the claim sparked panic buying in some neighborhoods and drew furious denials from Walmart’s corporate communications team, who clarified that no store closures were planned and that the footage was from a routine restocking delay. Despite the debunking, the rumor persisted, amplified by MAGA-aligned influencers who tied it to Mamdani’s broader platform of rent freezes, free public transit, and universal childcare. For many New Yorkers already anxious about inflation and job security, the fake news felt plausible enough to share, illustrating how economic fears could be exploited in the digital age.

            The misinformation campaign wasn’t limited to domestic platforms; it spilled over into international discourse, with state-aligned media in countries hostile to Mamdani’s pro-Palestinian stance adding fuel to the fire. Iranian outlets, celebrating his win as a blow to American imperialism, inadvertently spread exaggerated claims that Mamdani had promised to “defund the police entirely” and turn New York into a “sanctuary for global jihad.” These reports were then repackaged by far-right X accounts in the U.S., stripped of context, and presented as evidence of Mamdani’s alleged extremism. Conversely, Israeli media outlets ran headlines warning that Mamdani’s victory signaled the “end of New York’s alliance with Israel,” quoting anonymous sources who claimed he would redirect city funds to Gaza reconstruction projects. While Mamdani had indeed criticized Israel’s policies and called for a ceasefire, no such funding redirection was ever proposed. The cross-border echo chamber demonstrated how quickly local election misinformation could become a geopolitical weapon, with social media algorithms prioritizing outrage over accuracy.

            Perhaps the most insidious aspect of the post-election fake news surge was its targeting of Mamdani’s identity. Islamophobic tropes, dormant during much of the campaign, resurfaced with a vengeance. A fabricated audio clip, circulated on Telegram and later X, purported to capture Mamdani saying in a private meeting that “Sharia law would guide housing policy” in public developments. The clip, which garnered 1.8 million plays before being removed, was debunked by audio forensics experts who identified it as a deepfake stitched together from public speeches. Yet the damage was done: CAIR reported a 300 percent spike in anti-Muslim hate incidents in NYC in the week following the election, with mosques receiving threatening calls referencing the fake quote. Progressive Jewish organizations, meanwhile, pushed back against separate rumors that Mamdani had vowed to “ban kosher food in public schools,” a claim that originated from a satirical X account but was shared as fact by several conservative pundits. These identity-based falsehoods not only poisoned public discourse but also strained the coalition of young Jewish, Muslim, and Latino voters who had propelled Mamdani to victory.

            The speed and scale of the misinformation prompted an unprecedented response from fact-checkers and civic groups. Organizations like FactCheckNYC, a volunteer-run initiative started by CUNY journalism students, worked around the clock to debunk viral claims in real time. Using TikTok’s duet feature, they stitched rebuttals directly onto false videos, reaching 4.2 million users with concise explanations and links to primary sources. Community Notes on X, crowdsourced by verified local accounts, were attached to over 200 high-engagement posts within 48 hours, providing context that slowed the spread of lies. Meanwhile, Mamdani’s transition team launched a “Truth Squad” rapid-response unit, posting daily video updates on Instagram and YouTube to address the latest rumors head-on. In one widely viewed clip, Mamdani stood outside a fully operational Walmart in Flatbush, holding a receipt for groceries and joking, “If this store closes, I’m out of plantains!” The lighthearted approach humanized him and countered the fearmongering, garnering 2.9 million views and thousands of supportive comments.

            Traditional media outlets, caught flat-footed by the digital deluge, struggled to keep pace. Local TV stations like NY1 and ABC7 devoted segments to debunking the NYPD and Walmart stories, but their reach paled in comparison to social media. The New York Times ran a front-page analysis titled “Disinformation’s New Playground: NYC’s Mayoral Transition,” warning that the post-election lies were a preview of challenges to come for Mamdani’s administration. Progressive podcasts, which had been instrumental in Mamdani’s campaign, pivoted to fact-checking episodes, with hosts like those on “Subway Takes” interviewing police union leaders and retail executives to dispel resignation and closure myths. Even late-night shows got involved, with a “Daily Show” segment mocking the “Walmart apocalypse” narrative by showing Trevor Noah “stockpiling” canned beans in parody of the panic buyers. These efforts highlighted a growing symbiosis between new and old media in combating misinformation, even as they underscored the limitations of traditional journalism in a hyper-connected world.

            The fake news frenzy also exposed the role of platform moderation—or lack thereof—in shaping post-election narratives. X, under its current ownership, faced criticism for slow enforcement of community guidelines, with many flagged posts remaining online for days. TikTok, by contrast, removed several high-profile misinformation videos within hours, citing violations of its synthetic media policy. Meta, overseeing Instagram and WhatsApp, implemented temporary limits on forward messaging for viral election-related content in New York ZIP codes, a measure that reduced the spread of chain messages by 60 per cent, according to internal data. These disparate approaches fueled debates about algorithmic responsibility, with Mamdani himself calling for “community-driven moderation” that empowered local voices over corporate gatekeepers. His proposal, outlined in a transition memo leaked to Politico, suggested piloting neighborhood-based fact-checking councils to flag hyperlocal disinformation, an idea that drew both praise and skepticism from tech policy experts.

            For Mamdani’s supporters, the misinformation onslaught was a bittersweet reminder of new media’s double-edged sword. The same platforms that had enabled his campaign to bypass elite gatekeepers and raise $18 million in small donations were now being used to delegitimize his mandate. Volunteers who had knocked on 3 million doors and produced 500 viral Reels found themselves repurposing their skills to combat lies, creating “Myth vs. Fact” carousels on Instagram and hosting live X Spaces to answer voter questions. In Brownsville, a group of Gen Z organizers launched a “#RealMamdani” hashtag, encouraging New Yorkers to share selfies with policy flyers debunking specific rumors. The campaign went viral, trending for 36 hours and generating 1.5 million posts, a testament to the resilience of grassroots digital organizing even in the face of coordinated bad-faith attacks.

            As the dust settled, the post-election fake news storm offered valuable lessons for future campaigns. Mamdani’s team, reflecting on the chaos, announced plans to integrate misinformation defense into their governing strategy, including a public dashboard tracking viral claims and official responses. Civic tech startups in Brooklyn began developing open-source tools to detect deepfakes in real time, inspired by the Sharia law audio hoax. And across the city, schools incorporated the episode into media literacy curricula, using the Walmart closure rumor as a case study in source evaluation. The episode underscored a broader truth: in an era where anyone can be a publisher, the battle for narrative control is fought not just during campaigns but in the fragile weeks after victory, when trust in democracy hangs in the balance.

            Ultimately, the rise of fake news after Mamdani’s win did not derail his transition, but it cast a long shadow over his early days in office. By December 2025, polls showed that 68 percent of New Yorkers believed at least one major election-related rumor, even as 74 per cent approved of Mamdani’s handling of the crisis. The episode revealed the fragility of truth in the digital public square and the extraordinary burden on elected leaders to govern amid a cacophony of distortion. Yet it also showcased the power of community vigilance, from student fact-checkers to viral rebuttals, in reclaiming narrative control. As Mamdani prepares to take the oath of office on January 1, 2026, the fake news saga serves as both a warning and a rallying cry: in the age of new media, victory is only the beginning of the fight for reality itself.

References

1. AFP Fact Check. (2025, November 10). Fake Islamic State group statement targets Mamdani's NYC mayoral election. https://factcheck.afp.com/doc.afp.com.83FD266

2. DW Fact Check. (2025, November 12). Fact check: False claims spread as Mamdani elected NYC mayor. https://www.dw.com/en/fact-check-false-claims-circulate-after-mamdani-elected-nyc-mayor/a-74714195

3. Metro News. (2025, November 5). New York mayor Zohran Mamdani faces fake claims he wants Sharia law. https://metro.co.uk/2025/11/05/new-york-mayor-frontrunner-zohran-mamdani-targeted-fake-claims-wants-sharia-law-2-24620636/

4. The Guardian. (2025, November 6). How Mamdani built an ‘unstoppable force’ that won over New York. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/06/zohran-mamdani-campaign-new-york-democrats

5. POLITICO. (2025, July 20). Mamdani’s social media savvy comes at a cost. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/07/20/mamdanis-social-media-savvy-comes-at-a-cost-00464117

6. POLITICO. (2025, November 6). NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani blames attack ads for divided city. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/06/mayor-elect-mamdani-new-york-00637989

7. BBC News. (2025, November 5). 'Mandate for change': Zohran Mamdani wins New York City mayoral election. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/ceq01l8reqlo

8. BBC News. (2025, November 4). Zohran Mamdani seals remarkable victory - but real challenges await. https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/cly4kr8gzr2o

9. NPR. (2025, November 4). Zohran Mamdani wins NYC mayoral race. https://www.npr.org/2025/11/04/nx-s1-5597788/election-results-zohran-mamdani-new-york-city-mayor

10. NBC News. (2025, November 13). NYC Mayor Election 2025 Results: Zohran Mamdani Wins. https://www.nbcnews.com/politics/2025-elections/new-york-city-mayor-results

11. The Guardian. (2025, November 5). Zohran Mamdani elected mayor of New York on winning night for Democrats. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/04/zohran-mamdani-mayor-new-york-city

12. The Guardian. (2025, November 5). Who is Zohran Mamdani, New York’s Democratic socialist new mayor?. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/04/zohran-mamdani-profile

13. POLITICO. (2025, October 30). Zohran Mamdani’s meteoric candidacy is deeply polarizing New York. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/10/30/zohran-mamdanis-meteoric-candidacy-is-deeply-polarizing-new-york-00626683

14. The Guardian. (2025, November 3). Trump threatens to cut funds if ‘communist’ Mamdani wins mayoral election. https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/nov/03/trump-mamdani-new-york-election-mayor-cuomo

15. WIRED. (2025, October 20). Zohran Mamdani, the Internet’s Mayor. https://www.wired.com/story/the-big-interview-podcast-zohran-mamdani/

16. CNN Politics. (2025, November 9). Some Democrats are already sounding and looking like Zohran Mamdani online. https://www.cnn.com/2025/11/09/politics/zohran-mamdani-democrats-online-videos

17. Wikipedia. (2025, November 13). Zohran Mamdani. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Zohran_Mamdani

18. The Guardian. (2025, November 3). It’s clear why Zohran Mamdani is leading in the New York mayoral race. https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/nov/03/zohran-mamdani-lead-new-york-city-mayoral-race

19. POLITICO. (2025, November 6). The Obstacles Facing Mayor Mamdani — According to New York Insiders. https://www.politico.com/news/magazine/2025/11/06/mamdanis-real-fight-has-just-begun-00639466

20. POLITICO. (2025, November 1). Mamdani faces the pressures of being NYC's first Muslim mayor. https://www.politico.com/news/2025/11/01/zohran-mamdani-nyc-mayoral-race-pressure-00631903

---

 Mahamudul Hasan Gayen is a PhD Scholar in the Department of International Relations, Jadavpur University,. He is Founder and Director of the National Barta Research Centre.