New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani allegedly wants to go on Saturday Night Live. Rumors swirled last year that he pitched himself for a segment ahead of the mayor’s race. Now rumors are swirling again that he’s not straight up asking to go on but is letting other people put out the word that he’s down to make an appearance if longtime showrunner Lorne Michaels wants it. During another time in the show’s history, a cameo would almost feel inevitable, but at this moment in time, I’m not so sure. Let’s talk this out.
Saturday Night Live has always and almost certainly will always cover politics. It’s been a core part of the show’s identity since Chevy Chase mocked then President Ford’s clumsiness with exaggerated pratfalls during the show’s first season. How frequently and with what tone it covers politics, however, has ebbed and flowed quite a bit over the last five decades. The number of political cameos has also waffled to various extremes. In fact, there hasn’t been any political cameos on the show since Kamala Harris briefly showed up prior to the 2024 election.
