Published : 27 Sep 2026, 09:12 PM
Updated : 27 Sep 2026, 09:12 PM
Saturday Night Live has opened its new season with a sketch featuring Ramy Youssef as New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani and James Austin Johnson as Trump, Deadline reports.
The sketch parodied Trump and Mamdani’s recent meeting, portraying the president as unusually eager to spend time with the mayor. “For some reason I can’t really figure out, I really, really like you,” Johnson’s Trump told Mamdani.
According to Deadline, the sketch also referenced El Niño and storms affecting the East Coast, with Trump joking that he does not like “big storms, especially when they are in Spanish”.
The parody also introduced Trump aide Natalie Harp, played by Ashley Padilla, who warned Mamdani, “If you hurt him, I will end you,” before leaving the scene.
Deadline said the sketch played on the political contrast between Trump and Mamdani, a prominent democratic socialist, while highlighting their unusually warm public interactions.
The scene ended with Trump pleading with Mamdani about returning to Washington: “Please let me stay here with you.” Mamdani then joked that Trump could stay if he agreed to provide $21 billion for a housing project in Queens.
