Season 52 opened with special guest Ramy Youssef as NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani, appearing in the mayor’s mansion with his assistant, played by Veronika Slowikowska. Visited by James Austin Johnson as Trump, who in turn is visited by a storm-blown Natalie Harp, played by Ashley Padilla.
Youssef isn’t an ideal choice as the first face we see to start a season, and it doesn’t help that he’s very stiff on SNL. He has nothing to offer but straight-up read-the-cue-cards vibe.
