“Saturday Night Live” (SNL) aired a cold‑open parody on November 2, 2025, spoofing the New York City mayoral race. The sketch featured Ramy Youssef as frontrunner Zohran Mamdani, Shane Gillis as GOP candidate Curtis Sliwa, and Miles Teller as former governor and candidate Andrew Cuomo.
Youssef’s Mamdani opened with a tongue‑in‑cheek remark about his name’s pronunciation and made satirical promises: “free healthcare, affordable housing, free WiFi… As mayor, can I make that happen? I’m not sure yet.” Gillis’ Sliwa joked about getting shot five times in a yellow cab and other exaggerated NYC‑type danger references. Teller’s Cuomo touted his dislike among New Yorkers as pre‑qualifying him for the job.
A surprise appearance by Donald Trump (played by James Austin Johnson) crashed the debate saying, “They can pretend this election is about housing and taxes, but we all know it’s about me.”
From a conservative media and culture angle, the sketch captures several themes: the media framing of progressive candidates like Mamdani, the satirization of liberal policy promises, and the underlying skepticism of big‑city political theatrics.
