Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman is going after New York Governor Kathy Hochul and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani with a campaign ad mocking their handling of the state’s affordability problems. The Republican gubernatorial candidate portrayed the pair as offering New Yorkers little more than “excuses, empty promises, and “delusion pills.”
Blakeman’s AI video specifically takes aim at taxes, utility rate increases, and the cost of living while presenting his campaign as the alternative. However, some people responding to the ad weren’t exactly ready to swallow what Blakeman was selling either.
The above video was posted to the social media platform X and features both Zohran Mamdani and Kathy Hochul in an AI-generated ad. The video starts with the two introducing themselves before Mamdani says, “And together, we’re making New York—” He is then cut off by Hochul, who says, “Don’t say affordable.”
The entire video is a play on various promised policies, with the implication that nothing is going to change and is only expected to cost residents more money. In the caption to the post itself, Bruce Blakeman writes, “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.
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.”
There are plenty of real affordability issues for the candidates to fight over, particularly as New Yorkers continue dealing with the costs of housing, energy, and everyday expenses. Hochul has responded with affordability proposals of her own during the election year, while Blakeman has argued that her record in office proves New Yorkers need a change.
Mamdani gives Blakeman another recognizable political target to attach to Hochul, especially after the two worked together on initiatives such as expanding free and low-cost childcare in New York City.
Comments and Reactions to Bruce Blakeman’s Social Media Attack
Some commenters enjoyed Blakeman’s approach, with one person even writing, “OMG, Blakeman went there @NassauExec is the EMPTY PROMISES KING.” Another person found the post as a whole to be funny, writing, “Side effects may include… had me dying.”
One commenter argued that Blakeman was misleading voters about what a governor could accomplish on taxes without support from the state legislature, writing, “This is so funny that Bruce is accusing them of empty promises. He’s truly an idiot because the governor CANNOT cut taxes on the first 50k. The state legislature can only do that and he wouldn’t have the votes for that. He knows. He’s lying to everyone.“
There was also criticism of the ad itself, with another person writing, “Using AI slop as campaign ads, this makes the point that Blakeman has no “content” of his own.“
Whether voters make of the ad, the response shows that Blakeman’s attempt to turn these “empty promises” into a weapon against Hochul and Mamdani has also given his critics an easy phrase to throw straight back at him.
