New York City comptroller Brad Lander is depicted crushing a Tesla with a front-loader in a city mayoral campaign ad.
The ad features Lander crushing two cars, one that is tagged with the word “Corruption” and another that says “Trump & Musk” after carrying them over to a front-loader.
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Lander was considered the progressive front-runner until March, when state assemblyman Zohran Mamdani picked up polling momentum. A mid-April poll saw former Gov. Andrew Cuomo lead the mayoral pack with 45% support with Mamdani trailing at 22% and Lander at 8%. Incumbent mayor Eric Adams, who is highly unpopular in the city and is running as an independent, is not included in the poll.
“New York City needs a mayor who can focus on our problems, not their own,” the ad begins. “We need Brad Lander. Andrew Cuomo spent $60 million of your money to defend himself in court. That’s corrupt. But Brad Lander fights corruption to make New York safer and more affordable. Lander stood up to Trump and Musk when they stole $80 million from us, and he’s fought for New York, building thousands of affordable housing units.”
“Andrew Cuomo piles on the corruption. Brad Lander will crush it,” the ad concludes. Politico reported that Lander’s campaign bought $700,000 worth of ads with $4.6 million cash-on-hand.
The ad attacking Cuomo is a familiar move for the menagerie of mayoral candidates. His past sexual harassment allegations, which he has denied, have polarized Democrats. But he remains favored in the race.
A Cuomo spokesperson responded to the ad by sending a picture of 1988 Democratic presidential candidate Michael Dukakis in a tank to the Washington Examiner. The photo-op is considered a gaffe for the Dukakis campaign, which lost resoundingly to former President George H.W. Bush.
Many Teslas have been damaged or defaced as a result of CEO Elon Musk’s association with the Trump administration. The vandalism has reached the point where the Trump administration has strengthened enforcement of such incidents.
Attorney General Pam Bondi described Tesla desecrations as “nothing short of domestic terrorism.” She promised to “impose severe consequences on those involved in these attacks, including those operating behind the scenes to coordinate and fund these crimes.”
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The Washington Examiner reached out to Tesla and Lander’s campaign for comment, but did not receive a response.
Early voting begins June 14 in the New York City mayoral Democratic Primary with the election on June 24. The general election will take place in November.