2 months ago
Mayor Zohran Mamdani almost made it onto New York’s astir famed sketch show wherever nan notably inexperienced leader could person shown disconnected his improv skills location different than City Hall.
Sources show Page Six that Mamdani’s camp sounded him to look connected “Saturday Night Live,” during his campaign. But 1 root tells america that caput honcho Lorne Michaels didn’t bite.
“Mamdani was pitched, but yet for imaginative reasons, they went pinch comedians instead,” a root tells Page Six.
Ramy Youssef yet coiled up playing nan antiauthoritarian socialist successful a sketch connected Nov. 1, 2025 astir nan NYC mayoral debate. It besides featured Miles Teller arsenic erstwhile NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and comic Shane Gillis arsenic Republican campaigner Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani past posted clips and video of himself laughing pinch Yussef astir nan uncanny resemblance connected a FaceTime while nan comic was still successful costume.
“Live from New York’ I sewage roasted by,” Mamdani posted connected his societal media.
“There were conversations astir having Sliwa, Cuomo and Mamdani on, not needfully together,” says a source. “There are ever conversations astir having anyone who is successful nan news on.”
Michaels’ doorway still seems unfastened for a real-life, off-air cameo.
A root adjacent to nan SNL large told america that “Lorne is happy to meet pinch Mayor Mamdani.”
We perceive Mamdani has not been sounded since he was elected, though his squad could effort and float him for philharmonic guest. His 2010’s era rap profession arsenic Mr. Cardamom ne'er panned out, pinch songs including 1 wherever he praised convicted terror-funding group nan Holy Land Five.
Longtime NYC politician Ed Koch hosted nan show successful 1983 and co-hosted again successful May 1984. Rudy Giuliani hosted successful November 1997 and appeared pursuing nan attacks connected 9/11.
Donald Trump has besides hosted nan show twice. Once astatine nan tallness of “The Apprentice” successful 2004 and again successful November 2015 erstwhile he was moving for his first word arsenic president.
We perceive nan days of having politicians popular up for cameos — for illustration Kamala Harris showing up while being impersonated by Maya Rudolph aliases Hillary Clinton pinch Kate McKinnon — could now beryllium much difficult owed to a caller FCC Equal Time Rule, which requires broadcast stations to springiness adjacent opportunities to candidates for nan aforesaid office.
The norm was put into spot Jan. 21, 2026, aft Mamdani was elected into agency successful November.
An SNL spokesperson declined to remark connected guestbooking. Mamdani’s spokesperson did not get backmost to us.
