STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — Saturday Night Live took a crack at the trio of candidates seeking New York City’s mayorship in the final weekend before Election Day.
Featuring “Top Gun: Maverick” star Miles Teller as Andrew Cuomo, Teller was joined at “the third, final, and fictional” debate podiums by comedian Shane Gillis’ Curtis Sliwa and comedian Ramy Youssef’s Zohran Mamdani.
Moderated by Kenan Thompson’s “uncanny” interpretation of New York 1 journalist Errol Louis, each actor took their ascribed candidate’s characteristics — for better or worse — to the nth degree.
“Tonight, we’re going to hear from two viable candidates and one good old-fashioned New York nut,” said Thompson’s Louis.
Teller, through a thick New York accent, poked fun at the former governor’s accusations of alleged sexual assault and Italian heritage, saying: “I know this city like the back of a woman’s back. Mamma mia!”
(Cuomo, in an interview with the Advance/SILive.com editorial board, told journalists that the sexual assault accusations were “politically motivated. There was no truth to it.”)
Youssef’s Mamdani played on the Democratic candidate’s iconic wide smile and perpetually mispronounced name.
He was referred to, throughout the nine-minute skit, by names like “Zoltar Rob Zombie” and “Norbert Dim Daniel.”
Gillis as Sliwa played into the social media frenzy about the Republican candidate, portraying him as someone is who seemingly is always caught in the midst of some mob violence or otherwise, and offered outlandish anecdotes throughout the opening.
This portrayal does have some real roots, however; Sliwa did survive a mob hit in the back of a yellow taxicab in 1992.
The skit played on some of the questions asked during the real debates, including favorite bagel orders and the reason behind each candidate’s campaign for Gracie Mansion.
The skit takes a turn, however, when James Austin Johnson — dressed as President Donald Trump — comes onto the debate stage after Thompson inquires, “What do you think is the biggest problem you have to confront as mayor?”
“It’s me!” Johnson crowed. “Yes, they can pretend this election is about housing and taxes, but we all know it’s about me, right?”
The scene eventually comes to a close with Johnson’s Trump crooning a snippet of the Broadway show “Phantom of the Opera,” before the iconic: “Live from New York!”
If you purchase a product or register for an account through a link on our site, we may receive compensation. By using this site, you consent to our User Agreement and agree that your clicks, interactions, and personal information may be collected, recorded, and/or stored by us and social media and other third-party partners in accordance with our Privacy Policy.