Additional Coverage:
- Zohran Mamdani set to join Jimmy Kimmel in special New York City episode after SNL spoof (themirror.com)
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani is slated to appear on a special episode of Jimmy Kimmel Live! being filmed in Brooklyn this week.
Typically recorded in California, the late-night show will broadcast live from the Brooklyn Academy of Music as part of its annual Brooklyn Week residency. Mamdani, 34, will be featured on the September 28 episode, just days after being humorously portrayed on Saturday Night Live.
This week’s lineup for Kimmel’s show is star-studded, including appearances by Pete Davidson, Paul McCartney, Bruce Springsteen, and Senator Bernie Sanders. The episode follows a recent joke by Kimmel speculating that Melania Trump might be an AI creation, adding to the lively political commentary.
Mamdani’s upcoming appearance on the show is notable, given his past interactions with Kimmel. During his 2025 mayoral campaign, Mamdani boycotted a WABC-TV town hall in protest after Disney/ABC temporarily pulled Jimmy Kimmel Live!
from the air. He criticized network executives but later returned to the town hall once the show was reinstated.
Adding to the buzz, Mamdani was spoofed on the September 26 premiere of SNL’s 52nd season. Comedian Ramy Youssef reprised his role as the mayor in a cold open sketch set at Gracie Mansion during a nor’easter emergency. The skit featured Mamdani filming a TikTok video, urging New Yorkers to “shelter in place” while dancing to upbeat music, blending humor with a nod to his social media presence.
The sketch also included a comedic exchange with a Donald Trump impersonator, played by James Austin Johnson, who expressed an unexpected fondness for Mamdani. The scene was further enlivened by White House aide Natalie Harp, portrayed by Ashley Padilla, who arrived in dramatic fashion and humorously threatened the mayor.
The playful encounter wrapped with Mamdani negotiating with Trump for $21 billion for a Queens housing project, sealed by a humorous Instagram follow-back deal.
Jimmy Kimmel Live! airs weeknights on ABC at 11:35 PM Eastern Time.