Memes, Mishaps, and Mayors: The Quirkiest Social Media Moments of NYC’s 2025 Race
Exploring the memes, gaffes, and viral stunts shaping Zohran Mamdani, Eric Adams, and Andrew Cuomo’s 2025 campaigns.
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In the 2025 New York City mayoral race, social media has become a vibrant stage where candidates Zohran Mamdani, Eric Adams, and Andrew Cuomo showcase their personalities, policies, and, sometimes, their quirks. From viral TikToks to meme-worthy missteps, each candidate has left a digital footprint that’s as entertaining as it is revealing. Let’s dive into the quirkiest social media moments from these three contenders, exploring how their online antics have shaped their public image in a city that thrives on spectacle.
Zohran Mamdani: The Meme Machine with a Progressive Pulse
Zohran Mamdani, the 33-year-old democratic socialist, has mastered the art of social media with a blend of authenticity, humor, and cultural fluency that resonates with his young, progressive base. His campaign thrives on platforms like TikTok and Instagram, where he’s not afraid to lean into the absurd to make a point.
Memes: Mamdani’s campaign has inspired a flood of supporter-generated memes, turning him into a viral sensation. One standout is a TikTok by @fleuririva, set to Addison Rae’s “New York,” depicting Mamdani in a dreamy montage with over 38,000 views. The creator, a Virginia high school graduate, called Mamdani’s platform “inspiring to a lot of the younger generation,” despite not being able to vote for him. Another viral gem from @zohranchan used a “princess aesthetic” to hype Mamdani’s candidacy, complete with sparkly filters and the hashtag #mayorzohran, showcasing his knack for tapping into Gen Z’s playful visual language.
Slip-ups and Bloopers: Mamdani’s youth doesn’t make him immune to scrutiny. A viral clip surfaced where he admitted to taking time off work, knowing his parents would financially support him if needed. Critics on X, like @rpdnetwork and @Catherine_986, dubbed it a “socialist silver spoon moment,” arguing it clashed with his working-class platform. The backlash gained traction, with posts amassing thousands of views, but Mamdani’s team didn’t directly address the gaffe, letting his policy-focused content take the lead. In another moment, Mamdani posted a now-viral clip acknowledging Hannukah in a manner that was widely seen as offensive and a mockery of Jewish culture.
Virality: Mamdani’s Polar Bear Club Plunge on New Year’s Day 2025, where he donned a $30 thrift store suit and declared, “I’m freezing … your rent as the next mayor of New York City,” became a viral hit. Shared across Instagram and TikTok, the stunt was both silly and strategic, tying his affordability platform to a memorable visual. His appearance on “Subway Takes,” proclaiming “Eric Adams is a terrible mayor,” garnered over 3 million views, cementing his ability to blend humor with sharp political jabs.
Public Reaction: Supporters, especially younger voters, adore Mamdani’s “unpolished” charm. His walk-and-talk videos, like one in Brooklyn’s Little Haiti, feel like conversations with a friend, earning praise from experts like Dr. Jess Rauchberg for their “personal and intimate” vibe. Critics, however, seize on moments like the “silver spoon” comment to paint him as out-of-touch, with conservative X posts amplifying the narrative. Despite this, his 1 million Instagram followers and 14x engagement rate over Cuomo in June 2025 show his digital dominance.
Mamdani’s social media strategy reflects his generational fluency, using memes and viral stunts to amplify his progressive policies while shrugging off minor slip-ups with relentless authenticity.
Eric Adams: The “Cool Mayor” with a Knack for Surrealism
Incumbent Mayor Eric Adams, running as an independent, embraces a “cool mayor” persona with a penchant for bizarre, often unintentional, social media moments. His Instagram and X posts are a mix of inspirational catchphrases, quirky videos, and head-scratching content that keeps New Yorkers talking.
Memes: Adams has tried his hand at meme-making, but his efforts often fall flat or backfire. A 2011 video resurfaced in 2025, showing a then-state senator Adams, dressed like an undertaker, instructing parents to search their kids’ rooms for contraband. Shared widely on X and TikTok, it became a meme for its dated, overly serious tone, with users mocking its “after-school special” vibe. More recently, his “morning routine” video, featuring him ironing a shirt and munching a carrot stick in an industrial kitchen, went viral when internet sleuths noticed a clock discrepancy, suggesting it was staged. The video’s awkwardness inspired memes comparing Adams to a sitcom dad.
Slip-ups and Bloopers: Adams’s posts are a goldmine for unintentional comedy. His claim to be NYC’s “most famous vegan” (despite eating fish) sparked X posts ridiculing his logic, with many users joking about his “God positioning satellite” (GPS) rant in the morning routine video. Another gaffe came when Adams went on CNBC, demanding Mamdani apologize for a video allegedly mocking Hanukkah, which critics called a misrepresentation to stoke division. The post drew mixed reactions, with some supporters praising his stance, while others saw it as a desperate attack.
Virality: Adams’s attempts at viral content often lean into his larger-than-life personality. His “I’m a New Yorker” quote saga aims for relatability but often feels like a caricature. One post, where he addressed NYC’s celebration of National Deep Dish Pizza Day gained limited traction for its earnestness, though many mocked its try-hard energy. Despite the ridicule, these moments keep Adams in the conversation, even if not always for the right reasons.
Public Reaction: Adams’s base appreciates his unfiltered style, with supporters on X praising his “realness.” However, critics, especially younger voters, find his posts cringe-worthy, with one commenter noting, “Eric Adams stands no chance against Mamdani if this is how low effort his social media game is.” His approval ratings, already low after embracing Trump and dodging corruption charges, take hits from these missteps, but his loyal followers see them as proof of his outsider status.
Adams’s social media presence is a rollercoaster of bold attempts and bizarre blunders, humanizing him to some while alienating others who crave polish over personality.
Andrew Cuomo: The Reluctant Meme Star with Cringe-Inducing Comebacks
Former Governor Andrew Cuomo, running as an independent after losing the Democratic primary, has approached social media with a calculated but often awkward strategy. His attempts to match Mamdani’s digital flair have produced some of the race’s most cringe-worthy moments.
Memes: Cuomo’s campaign relaunch video, announcing his independent run, became an instant meme for its tone-deaf execution. Posted on July 14, 2025, the video featured a close-up of Cuomo declaring, “I am in it to win it,” with stilted public interactions including “So your idea is to further split the vote? Or are you hoping for Adams to offer you a job?” from @kimKBaltimore and an NYC Contribute link being posted in the comments by his opponent, Zohran Mamdani among other, much harsher comments.
Slip-ups and Bloopers: Cuomo’s mispronunciation of Mamdani’s name as “Mandani” in the relaunch video was a subtle but widely criticized gaffe. Mamdani’s team countered with a video featuring Brooklyn Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn stumbling over his name but asking for correction, highlighting Cuomo’s lack of care. Shared on X, this moment fueled accusations of disrespect, with @Skydive101 noting it turned into a fundraising win for Mamdani. Another slip-up came when Cuomo’s team avoided unscripted voter interactions, leading to X posts mocking his “glass box” campaign style.
Virality: Cuomo’s social media rarely achieves intentional virality, but his pizza post on X, claiming “No better pizza in the city—sorry, not sorry,” gained relatively modest traction for its attempt at folksy charm. Shared by @andrewcuomo, it was a rare light moment, though many saw it as pandering. His static, long-form campaign launch soliloquy, however, was trolled by Mamdani, earning at least 33 times the likes and boosting Mamdani’s fundraising, showing Cuomo’s struggle to connect authentically.
Public Reaction: Cuomo’s base, mostly older moderates, appreciates his attempts to rebrand, but younger voters and X users find his posts painfully out-of-touch. The relaunch video drew pity and incredulity, with Slate noting a tone “between incredulity and mild pity.”
Cuomo’s calculated return has produced more unintentional humor than viral success, complicating his bid to appear relatable in a city that values authenticity.
The Power of Quirky in NYC Politics
These social media moments reveal more than just laughs—they show how candidates navigate the tightrope of personality and policy in a media-savvy city. Mamdani’s meme-friendly, authentic approach has built a movement, turning him into a cultural phenomenon among young voters, though slip-ups like the “silver spoon” comment test his working-class cred, and moments like the Hannukah video he posted challenge his ability to be seen as a potential Mayor for all people. Adams’s surreal, unfiltered posts humanize him to loyalists but risk alienating those who see him as a caricature. Cuomo’s awkward attempts at digital relevance highlight his struggle to shed a scandal-scarred image, often making him the butt of the internet’s jokes.
In NYC, where voters are as outspoken as they are online, social media can amplify a candidate’s charm or expose their flaws. Mamdani’s viral fluency gives him an edge, but Adams’s chaotic energy and Cuomo’s earnest missteps keep the race unpredictable. As the November 2025 election looms, these quirky moments remind us that in politics, a meme can be mightier than a manifesto.
Stay tuned for more NYC election insights, and follow @highaski and @theindustrylead on X for real-time commentary and deep dives into the 2025 mayoral race!
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