“Saturday Night Live” opens its new season with a cold open featuring Mayor Zohran Mamdani, played by Ramy Youssef, as he hangs out with Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson. The sketch frames the interaction as an unlikely friendship, presenting it as a warm, playful encounter rather than a confrontation.
Both outlets describe the premise as a reference to a recent meeting between Mamdani and Trump earlier this week. In the scene, they discuss contemporary topics, including a major storm affecting the East Coast and lighter cultural items such as the New York Knicks. Variety also notes a separate element in the broader opening, highlighting actress Natalie Harp’s character reacting to Trump in a melodramatic way, while Deadline focuses on the recurring comedic “lovefest” tone between the two political figures.
Overall, the sources agree that the cold open uses parody and celebrity-style banter to contrast Mamdani’s left-leaning public image with Trump’s right-wing politics, turning the meeting into a recurring joke.
