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SNL Parodies NYC Mayoral Debate as Trump Crashes the Cold Open

The sketch lands days before the election to cast a local race into national view.

Overview

  • Ramy Youssef played frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, Shane Gillis portrayed Curtis Sliwa, and host Miles Teller appeared as Andrew Cuomo.
  • James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump burst into the debate, mocked the candidates, and broke into The Music of the Night before the show’s signature sign-off.
  • Kenan Thompson moderated as NY1’s Errol Lewis, joking about impersonating the “least famous person” ever featured on the show.
  • The bit leaned on New York–specific jokes, including a bagel-order lightning round, quips about Gristedes and bike lanes, and a brief Eric Adams cameo.
  • The cold open marked SNL’s return to political satire after a one-episode break and came as Mamdani’s profile rises following recent criticism from President Trump.