Trump Takes Over "Saturday Night Live" NYC Mayor Debate: Parody or Predicting the Unpredictable?
The usually reliable formula of a "Saturday Night Live" cold open was turned on its head last weekend when, instead of tackling current events, the show took aim at the increasingly chaotic New York City mayoral debates. The sketch pitted Andrew Cuomo (played by Miles Teller) against Zohran Mamdani (Ramy Youssef) and Curtis Sliwa (Shane Gillis), but it was Donald Trump's unexpected appearance that stole the spotlight – or rather, the stage.
The strong characters in the real-life mayoral debates provided a solid foundation for the show's riffing, with Teller's Cuomo poking fun at his own candidacy by joking that taking the job would make everyone hate him. Youssef's Mamdani, meanwhile, alternated between making cringe-worthy thirst trap TikToks and sporting an awkward grin.
However, it was Kenan Thompson's local anchor Errol Louis who set the stage for Trump's dramatic entrance. As Louis quipped that he was the "least famous person to be impersonated on 'SNL'", Trump burst onto the scene with his signature confidence, declaring, "It's me! They can pretend this election is about housing and taxes, but we all know it's about me, right?" The faux-Trump then bragged about a recent cognitive test at Walter Reed, claiming he had performed so well that they immediately gave him an MRI.
But what was truly remarkable was Trump's unexpected ode to the Phantom of the Opera. As the sketch progressed, Johnson's Trump sang "Music of the Night" while slowly lifting the iconic half-mask of the Phantom to his face – a moment that can only be described as surreal and unsettling.
One can't help but wonder if this was more than just a clever sketch. Did Johnson's Trump actually predict the unpredictable nature of Trump himself? Or was it simply a brilliant send-up of the current state of politics in America?
Regardless, one thing is certain: James Austin Johnson has cemented his status as the go-to Trump impersonator for "SNL", and we can't wait to see what other outrageous moments he has in store for us.
The usually reliable formula of a "Saturday Night Live" cold open was turned on its head last weekend when, instead of tackling current events, the show took aim at the increasingly chaotic New York City mayoral debates. The sketch pitted Andrew Cuomo (played by Miles Teller) against Zohran Mamdani (Ramy Youssef) and Curtis Sliwa (Shane Gillis), but it was Donald Trump's unexpected appearance that stole the spotlight – or rather, the stage.
The strong characters in the real-life mayoral debates provided a solid foundation for the show's riffing, with Teller's Cuomo poking fun at his own candidacy by joking that taking the job would make everyone hate him. Youssef's Mamdani, meanwhile, alternated between making cringe-worthy thirst trap TikToks and sporting an awkward grin.
However, it was Kenan Thompson's local anchor Errol Louis who set the stage for Trump's dramatic entrance. As Louis quipped that he was the "least famous person to be impersonated on 'SNL'", Trump burst onto the scene with his signature confidence, declaring, "It's me! They can pretend this election is about housing and taxes, but we all know it's about me, right?" The faux-Trump then bragged about a recent cognitive test at Walter Reed, claiming he had performed so well that they immediately gave him an MRI.
But what was truly remarkable was Trump's unexpected ode to the Phantom of the Opera. As the sketch progressed, Johnson's Trump sang "Music of the Night" while slowly lifting the iconic half-mask of the Phantom to his face – a moment that can only be described as surreal and unsettling.
One can't help but wonder if this was more than just a clever sketch. Did Johnson's Trump actually predict the unpredictable nature of Trump himself? Or was it simply a brilliant send-up of the current state of politics in America?
Regardless, one thing is certain: James Austin Johnson has cemented his status as the go-to Trump impersonator for "SNL", and we can't wait to see what other outrageous moments he has in store for us.
. It's just a sketch, folks! Can't we all just relax and enjoy the absurdity without overanalyzing it to death 
? Plus, I mean, come on, who needs an MRI to perform well on a cognitive test? Sounds like more fake news to me 
. And that Phantom of the Opera thing? Just plain weird, you know? I'm still waiting for them to do a sketch about Biden's cat... now THAT would be comedy gold 
It's like they're trying to say something about how unpredictable politics is, but at the same time it just feels like a weird parody. The Phantom of the Opera part is straight up bizarre 
.
The sketch was hilarious and all, but also kinda sad. It feels like we're stuck in a never-ending cycle of weirdness when it comes to politics and entertainment 
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. And can we talk about the Phantom of the Opera moment? 
. Maybe SNL did predict the unpredictable after all? 
. Johnson's Trump was just straight fire tho, love how he brought that whole Phantom vibe to the table 
. Can't wait for more of this absurdity on SNL! 
I mean, who else could make a parody of themselves sound so eerily real? It was like watching an actual Trump debate, minus the fact that it was just a sketch 
Trump's antics on SNL were straight out of a bad dream 
. The fact that he thinks his ego is as big as the city itself is wild 
! I mean, who would've thought? The way it was all so...Trump-like 
Maybe they were trying to say something about how Trump is always lurking in the shadows, waiting for his moment to shine? Or maybe it's just a reflection of how wild politics can get. Either way, James Austin Johnson totally nailed Trump's eccentricities - here's hoping he keeps bringing the laughs (and the cringe) in the future! 
. SNL just needs to keep feeding him this crazy content and he'll keep delivering 
Johnson's got some serious game as Trump, and it's giving me major "Last Week Tonight" vibes 
