Personality
10 most memorable New York political impressions on SNL
From Mario Cuomo to Zohran Mamdani, governors and mayors have all been targets of fodder.
“Saturday Night Live” missed the mark in its portrayal of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. Screenshot/Saturday Night Live
The TikTok dance Ramy Youssef performed as Zohran Mamdani on the season premier of “Saturday Night Live” looked less like a Zohran-ism and more like something a boomer would do to try to appeal to the kids – which is maybe just what SNL is now. Last week’s cold open parodied the New York City mayor’s meeting at Gracie Mansion with President Donald Trump, and some weren’t sold by the impression. It’s not the first time SNL spoofed our local elected officials, so City & State revisited some of the most memorable impressions of New York politicians in the show’s history.
Ramy Youssef as Zohran Mamdani
Appearances: Two
What they got right: The perma-grin, and message discipline. (Who would have thought we’d see a Sunnyside Yard reference on SNL?)What they got wrong: There are a dozen ways SNL could have lampooned Mamdani’s media strategy, but the man doesn’t do TikTok dances. Doesn’t land!
Miles Teller as Andrew Cuomo
Appearances: One (Pete Davidson also had at least four appearances as Cuomo.)
What they got right: A new mispronunciation of “Zohran Mamdani” at every turn. “My opponent, Norbert Damndaniel, is inexperienced and frankly, a nepo baby. Whereas my dad was just governor of New York.”
What they got wrong: The Queens accent isn’t totally there, but Teller gave it his best shot.
Chris Redd as Eric Adams
Appearances: At least two, but bonus points for appearing with Adams himself at the Inner Circle Show
What they got right: When Adams took office in 2022, the city was still rebounding from COVID-19. It’s easy to forget how much he tried to will away the city’s ills on swagger alone, but Redd’s debut sold it so well, Adams apparently became a fan himself.
What they got wrong: The mocking disdain for the press corps is on point, but his nicknames for reporters (“weird Slim Shady,” “Princess Peach”) are a little too affectionate.
Watch here: https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/video/eric-adams-press-conference/971205543
Kate McKinnon as Rudy Giuliani
Appearances: At least 13, far surpassing the four other cast members who took on Rudy
What they got right: The delusional commitment to Trump’s election denial in 2020. “In Michigan, we demanded a recount. In Wisconsin, we have demanded a decount. We called backsies in Nevada, we got safety in Arizona, and in Georgia: opposite day.”
What they got wrong: McKinnon’s portrayal gets the zany parts right, but doesn't capture the stunning self-sabotage Giuliani did to his previously fairly strong local reputation in the Trump era.
Chris Farley as Andrew Giuliani
Appearances: At least two
What they got right: Farley, an absurdly physical performer, was the perfect choice to play an overzealous kid shoving his way into the spotlight.
What they got wrong: There are rare instances in which life is stranger than sketch, and 7-year-old Andrew’s fist-pumping, kiss-blowing, speech-stealing performance is one not even Farley could match.
Bowen Yang as George Santos
Appearances: At least eight
What they got right: Obviously, the compulsive lying. In a sketch about being expelled from Congress, Yang said, “So I’m no longer ‘Congressman Santos.’ I’m just regular old professor major general reverend astronaut Santos, protector of the realm, princess of Genovia.” And Santos did live his life like a “Scandal in the wind.”
What they got wrong: We could fact-check, or rank, all of Santos’ lies, and we have, but he’s now out of prison and, this is true, currently on reality TV.
John Mulaney as Harvey Epstein
Appearances: One
What they got right: No one outside of political circles knows who Harvey Epstein is, so better safe than sorry to clarify he is neither Harvey Weinstein nor Jeffrey Epstein. Mulaney’s frustrated delivery landed the joke, while the inclusion of Epstein’s understated hoop earring proved the show’s eye for detail.
What they got wrong: Epstein, already an Assembly member and running in an uncompetitive general election at the time the sketch aired, had absolutely nothing to worry about despite Mulaney’s declaration that “the name thing has become a bit of an issue.”
Sarah Sherman as Chuck Schumer
Appearances: One
What they got right: The look, the accent, the hair, the glasses, Sarah Sherman had Chuck Schumer down pat.
What they got wrong: In the sketch, Schumer is arguing about his DoorDash order, which would be impossible for him to place on his outdated flip phone.
Fred Armisen as David Paterson
Appearances: At least 11
What they got right: Paterson is still out here looking for election drama in 2026, just as Armisen’s Paterson did in a “Weekend Update” segment (that Paterson himself later joined) about the race to succeed him as governor. “The Democrat in me wants (Andrew) Cuomo, but the trainwreck in me identifies with (Carl) Paladino.”
What they got wrong: Pretty much every sketch in which Armisen played Paterson included insensitive jokes about Paterson being legally blind, which – apart from drawing backlash from disability advocacy groups – didn’t reflect any reality of Paterson’s leadership.
Phil Hartman as Mario Cuomo
Appearances: Two
What they got right: Phil Hartman’s overdone New York accent as he tries to argue, like all the other candidates, that he’s not a good candidate for president in 1992. And New York’s economy wasn’t in great shape at the time, which Hartman mentions.
What they got wrong: One of the biggest laughs was Hartman declaring, “I have mob ties!” For years, there had been rumors about Cuomo’s ties to the Mafia, but those were never substantiated.