Amid the US government shutdown, a World Series nail-biter, and an election season that already feels like a sitcom, Saturday Night Live decided to pile on the chaos with its own New York City mayoral debate, complete with bagel jokes, socialist charm, and a surprise Trump cameo.
Miles Teller returned to Studio 8H as a slick-talking Andrew Cuomo, Ramy Youssef turned up as a painfully polite
Zohran Mamdani, and Kenan Thompson’s Errol Louis tried to keep the circus on track.
But of course, the debate didn’t stay on the rails for long — especially once James Austin Johnson’s
Donald Trump crashed the stage, declaring himself the true star (and maybe the next mayor).
While introducing himself, Teller’s Cuomo said he was a “born, bred New Yorker” who “knows this city like the back of a woman’s back.” Special guest Ramy Youssef followed as Zohran Mamdani, saying he was “happy to be here, and I’m ready to spend the next hour hearing my opponents pronounce my name in ways you couldn’t begin to imagine.,
the Hollywood Reporter reported.
He added, “And I know some of you are out there scared of the idea of a young socialist Muslim mayor. So allow me to put you at ease by smiling after every answer in a way that physically hurts my face.”
Shane Gillis then stepped into the role of Curtis Sliwa, steering the sketch into the heart of the debate.
The faux candidates answered questions on why they would “want the worst job in the world,” their go-to bagel orders and what they would say to “undecided voters.”
Over the undecided voters, Mamdani said, "My message is this. Hey, girl, I know you got a little white guilt for gentrifying that Spanish neighborhood, don't you? Why don't you vote for me? You know, you feel a little less bad about that chicken and rice shop getting turned into a sweet green. So why don't you hit me up at the ballot box, girl?"
Towards the end, James Austin Johnson’s Trump made his grand appearance when candidates were asked about the “biggest problem” they would have to tackle as mayor. “It’s me!” Johnson’s Trump exclaimed. “Yes, they can pretend this election is about housing and taxes, but we all know it’s about me, right? ’Cause I’m gonna be very involved, very hands on. This guy knows about hands on, right, Cuomo?”
Johnson’s Trump also answered Kenan Thompson’s question about his go-to bagel order, calling it a “Big Mac with a hole in the middle,” before referencing his time in New York.
“And I may not live in New York anymore. Oh, but I’m always watching, lurking in the shadows, much like the late, great Phantom of the Opera,” he said. “Terrible what happened to him in terms of opera, with regard to being burned by chandelier. Perhaps I’ll add New York Mayor to my list of duties. Come on, open up your mind. Let your fantasies unwind in this darkness which you know. The darkness of the music of the night,” Johnson’s Trump sang to close out the cold open. In the opening monologue, Teller spoke about losing his home in the Los Angeles wildfires earlier in the year. “A lot has happened since the last time that I hosted [SNL],” Teller said.
“A few months ago, my wife and I lost our house in the Palisades fire. But don’t worry, seriously, do not worry, we’re doing great.” He added, “But that experience has made me incredibly grateful to have so many places that I can call home. But based on what happened to the last place that I called home, I just want to say, there’s fire exits located there, there, there,” while pointing to differing spots in the studio.
Saturday night marked the second time Teller has served as an SNL host; his most recent appearance was on October 1-2022, making it exactly three years and one month since his debut on the series. The Top Gun: Maverick star was the fourth host of season 51. He will be followed by Nikki Glaser and Glen Powell as hosts in the coming weeks, with Sombr and Olivia Dean joining as musical guests on Nov. 8 and 15. Earlier this season, Bad Bunny, Amy Poehler and Sabrina Carpenter took turns as hosts.
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