Mayor Zohran Mamdani almost made it onto New York’s most famed sketch show where the notably inexperienced politician could have shown off his improv skills somewhere other than City Hall.
Sources tell Page Six that Mamdani’s camp pitched him to appear on “Saturday Night Live,” during his campaign. But one source tells us that head honcho Lorne Michaels didn’t bite.
“Mamdani was pitched, but ultimately for creative reasons, they went with comedians instead,” a source tells Page Six.
Ramy Youssef ultimately wound up playing the democratic socialist in a sketch on Nov. 1, 2025 about the NYC mayoral debate. It also featured Miles Teller as former NY Governor Andrew Cuomo and comic Shane Gillis as Republican candidate Curtis Sliwa.
Mamdani then posted clips and video of himself laughing with Yussef about the uncanny resemblance on a FaceTime while the comic was still in costume.
“Live from New York’ I got roasted by,” Mamdani posted on his social media.
“There were conversations about having Sliwa, Cuomo and Mamdani on, not necessarily together,” says a source. “There are always conversations about having anyone who is in the news on.”
Michaels’ door still seems open for a real-life, off-air cameo.
A source close to the SNL big told us that “Lorne is happy to meet with Mayor Mamdani.”
We hear Mamdani has not been pitched since he was elected, though his team could try and float him for musical guest. His 2010’s era rap career as Mr. Cardamom never panned out, with songs including one where he praised convicted terror-funding group the Holy Land Five.
Longtime NYC mayor Ed Koch hosted the show in 1983 and co-hosted again in May 1984. Rudy Giuliani hosted in November 1997 and appeared following the attacks on 9/11.
Donald Trump has also hosted the show twice. Once at the height of “The Apprentice” in 2004 and again in November 2015 when he was running for his first term as president.
We hear the days of having politicians pop up for cameos — like Kamala Harris showing up while being impersonated by Maya Rudolph or Hillary Clinton with Kate McKinnon — could now be more difficult due to a new FCC Equal Time Rule, which requires broadcast stations to give equal opportunities to candidates for the same office.
The rule was put into place Jan. 21, 2026, after Mamdani was elected into office in November.
An SNL spokesperson declined to comment on guestbooking. Mamdani’s spokesperson did not get back to us.
