Sea Cliff, New York - Robert Ehrlich, founder of the snack brand Pirate's Booty, launched a bizarre bid to take over the local government in his Long Island town.

On March 10, Ehrlich declared himself the mayor of Sea Cliff, New York and attempted to fire the staffers in Village Hall.

Per the Long Island Herald, the 67-year-old arrived with three supporters in tow and claimed that under the Citizens Empowerment Act, he could dissolve the local government.

The 2009 law gives a citizen this authority if they garner the support of 10% of the municipality's population – 500, in the case of Sea Cliff.

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Ehrlich declared he had obtained signatures from 1,800 residents, but officials have denied that he ever presented them with the petition.

Speaking directly to the outlet, Ehrlich compared his crusade to the actions of President Donald Trump, saying, "I'm interpreting the law any way I want, the way Trump would interpret laws as he sees fit.

"It's called trickle-down politics, which is what we're doing."

The businessman even claimed – without evidence – that he'd been invited to the White House and that he was in contact with New York State Governor Kathy Hochul, which her spokesman denied.

According to local authorities, Ehrlich and his three supporters were "confrontational" when village staff informed him that the attempted coup was not supported by local law.

"While Village staff remained calm and professional throughout the incident, Ehrlich and his associates raised their voices, used profane language, made outlandish claims, and engaged in direct harassment of Village personnel," Sea Cliff officials said.

"Despite multiple requests to leave, they refused, creating a hostile and disruptive environment that required police intervention."

After his failed mutiny attempt, the Pirate's Booty founder became a write-in candidate for Sea Cliff's mayoral election, where he was swiftly defeated by incumbent Elena Villafane on Tuesday – earning just 62 votes.

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Following the defeat, Ehrlich took another page from Trump's book as he claimed the race was "rigged" and refused the idea of running again in the next election.

"No, I'm mayor now. Why do I have to wait two years?" he told NBC News. "I am mayor at this moment. I can write an executive order."