US Politics
SNL’s Trump boasts about cognitive test as he hijacks mock NYC mayoral debate in Cold Open sketch: ‘It’s about me’
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Saturday Night Live poked fun at President Donald Trump and New York City’s mayoral candidates in its latest Cold Open sketch.
The late-night comedy show parodied the recent mayoral debates between candidates Zohran Mamdani, Andrew Cuomo and Curtis Sliwa on Saturday evening. But another politician was quick to crash the event: Trump, played by James Austin Johnson.
“It’s me! They can pretend this election is about housing and taxes, but we all know it’s about me, right? Because I’m going to be very involved, very hands on,” Johnson’s Trump declared part-way through the debate.
The fictional Trump mentioned each candidate by name, but started to mumble when he got to Mamdani. Earlier, Mamdani’s character, played by Ramy Youssef, joked that his opponents would “pronounce my name in ways you couldn’t even begin to imagine.”
The fictional Trump also quipped that his “go-to bagel order is Big Mac with a hole in the middle,” referencing the president’s well-documented love of McDonald’s.
Trump’s character went on to joke about the president’s recent MRI scan. This comes after Trump revealed he had a MRI and that the results were “perfect” on Monday. The reason for the scan is still unclear.
“I did so well on a cognitive test that they immediately gave me an MRI,” the fictional Trump said.
The character also said he’ll be adding New York City Mayor to his “list of duties.”
“I may not live in New York anymore, but I’m always watching lurking in the shadows, much like the late, great Phantom of the Opera — terrible what happened to him in terms of opera, with regard to being burned by chandelier,” the character mused. “Perhaps I’ll add New York Mayor to my list of duties.”
New Yorkers will elect a new mayor on Tuesday, though many people have already voted early. The latest polls show that Mamdani, the Democratic nominee, still maintains a comfortable lead over his opponents, The New York Times reports.
Trump has commented on Mamdani throughout the mayoral hopeful’s campaign, often falsely labeling him a “communist” (Mamdani says he is a democratic socialist). In September, the president threatened to withhold federal funds from New York City if Mamdani wins. Meanwhile, Mamdani has pledged to work with the president if elected.
