The Lady in Red posted a meme that showed her opponent as a lazy pothead — with critics slamming the cringeworthy cartoon as “racist.”
Public advocate Jenifer Rajkumar, who has struggled in the polls, posted the meme on Wednesday that showed her as a high-heeled, high-energy politician alongside a snoozing incumbent Jumaane Williams, who was passed out in bed.
“Maaaaan, last batch edibles took me somewhere else,” reads a social media quote from Williams above a cartoon of Williams, who is black. Near him is a schedule that just lists a nap on his daily agenda.
Rajkumar — a state Assembly member — is shown around town, with a packed schedule starting at 7 a.m., catching a train, and ending her day late at night.
“This feels desperate and racist,” one Dem political consultant railed. “Why stereotype a Black man as nothing more than a pothead? Instead, New Yorkers would like to hear more about her record outside of press conferences and media events with the Mayor.”
Another operative was speechless.
“I don’t know what to say about the village idiot who says nonsensical or racist things,” they quipped. “People and her colleagues will continue to do the same as we have been: ignore her.”
Rajkumar’s campaign spokesperson Arvind Sooknanan defended the post, saying pundits who called it racist were just using the PA’s own words against him.
“The image used Jumaane’s own tweet and reflects what New Yorkers already know: His office is remote, unresponsive, and missing in action with no major accomplishments in 6 years.”
The tweet is real but was plucked from a cheeky back-and-forth from 2021 with then-Minority Council Leader Joe Boreli (R-Staten Island), joking about aliens and time travel.
Rajkumar earned her nickname for appearing alongside Mayor Eric Adams at public events decked out in red. Her post came after Adams similarly skewered Williams on Tuesday.
“Think about this for a moment, the public advocate wakes up at noon,” Adams railed at his weekly off-topic. “He takes a nap until 2. He goes looking around the fort to make sure the guards are awake. And then he goes back and takes another nap.
“Then he looks at the press and says, ‘My job for over $200,000 is to find a way to criticize Eric or something.’”
The mayor, though, didn’t pin Williams’ alleged no-show record on being high.
The campaign also doubled down, posting the meme again Thursday afternoon, replying to one of Williams’ social posts.
“It’s f–ked up,” said one city politician.
A Honan Strategy Group poll found this week that Rajkumar was polling at 6% of likely Dem voters, while Williams, who has barely campaigned, was comfortably at 51%. About a third of voters are still up for grabs, according to the poll.
