Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: ,

SNL 52 Cold Open: Trump Visits Mamdani; Padilla's Natalie Harp Debuts

SNL 52 Cold Open: James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump is obsessed with Ramy Youssef's Mayor Mamdani; Ashley Padilla's Natalie Harp debuts.

Published
by
|
Comments

Article Summary

  • SNL Season 52 opens with James Austin Johnson’s Trump dropping in on Ramy Youssef’s Mayor Mamdani at Gracie Mansion.
  • The SNL cold open mines Trump’s odd fixation on Mamdani, a Nor’easter crisis, and a joke about threatening Iran.
  • Ashley Padilla debuts on SNL as Natalie Harp, playing Trump’s fiercely possessive aide with wild Fatal Attraction energy.
  • The sketch ends with Mamdani scoring billions for housing after promising Trump an Instagram follow in classic SNL fashion.

With New York Knicks champ & NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson as host and KATSEYE as the musical guest, NBC's Saturday Night Live is back tonight to kick off its jaw-dropping 52nd season. Of course, having been off all summer, we can't help but wonder what the topic for the season's first SNL Cold Open will be. We're going to assume James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump will be in play; maybe Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth, though Hegseth has been running under the radar lately. We're kicking things off with Mayor Mamdani (Ramy Youssef) at NYC's Gracie Mansion – with an early shot at his love of social media posts. Guess who shows up to meet with Mamdani? Yup, Trump – who "really, really" likes NYC's mayor. Trump loves hanging out with Mandani – despite Mandani trying to deal with a Nor'easter. Trump admits he misunderstood what he was supposed to do at the UN and thought he was supposed to threaten the annihilation of Iran. And then, Ashley Padilla's Natalie Harp, one of Trump's assistants, and who reportedly has an obsession with Trump, to the point where she threatens Mamdani not to hit him. We're talking "Fatal Attraction" taken to an even crazier level. In the end, Mamdani manages to secure billions from Trump for a housing project by promising to follow him on Instagram.

SNL 52 Cold Open: Trump Visits Mamdani; Padilla's Natalie Harp Debuts
Image: SNL Twitter Screencaps

Here's a look at the SNL Cold Open from earlier tonight:

NBC's Saturday Night Live: A Look at SNL 52

NBC's Emmy Award-winning late-night comedy showcase Saturday Night Live returns in fall 2026 for its 52nd season of laughs, surprises, and standout performances. Since its inception in 1975, SNL has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation. SNL makes headlines with topical humor that reflects politics and current events, features an array of characters with an unparalleled perspective on pop culture, and offers sharp political commentary through its signature "Weekend Update" segment. A variety show that is truly one of a kind, SNL also attracts the biggest music stars to its stage for innovative, viral performances.

SNL
Image: NBCUniversal

SNL Season 52 Main Players: Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Marcello Hernández, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Ashley Padilla, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Jane Wickline.

SNL Season 52 Featured Players: Saidah Belo-Osagie, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, Grace Reiter, and Veronika Slowikowska.

SNL Season 52 Head Writers: Alison Gates, Erik Kenward, Streeter Seidell, and Kent Sublette.

SNL Season 52 Senior Writer: Bryan Tucker

SNL Season 52 Supervising Writers: Dan Bulla, Jake Nordwind, and Will Stephen.

SNL Season 52 Writers: Bam Alston, Jack Bensinger, Michael Che, Mike DiCenzo, Tucker Flodman, Jimmy Fowlie, Maxwell Gay, Steve Higgins, Colin Jost, Allie Levitan, Claire McFadden, Lorne Michaels, Ceara O'Sullivan, Moss Perricone, Chase Rosenberg, Jo Sunday, Carl Tart, Asha Ward, and Maddie Wiener.

SNL Season 52 "Weekend Update" Head Writer: Pete Schultz

SNL Season 52 "Weekend Update" Writers & Producers: Megan Callahan-Shah, Dennis McNicholas, Josh Patten, KC Shornima, and Scott Weinstein.

SNL Season 52 Head of Talent Department: Keri Powers, who was promoted to lead the team responsible for host, musical guest, and guest star bookings.

SNL Season 52 Producer: Rebecca Schwartz, who was promoted for her efforts in supporting the show's cast and production team.

SNL is the most Emmy-winning show in history, with 115+ wins (including awards for its specials and short-form series). SNL has been honored four times with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The show continues to garner the highest ratings and largest audience of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week on linear and digital platforms.

NBC's Saturday Night Live, which premiered Oct. 11, 1975, broadcasts live from NBC's famed Studio 8H in New York City's Rockefeller Center. The program is a production of Broadway Video in association with SNL Studios. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer.

Enjoyed this? Please share on social media!

Stay up-to-date and support the site by following Bleeding Cool on Google News today!

Ray FlookAbout Ray Flook

Serving as Television Editor since 2018, Ray began five years earlier as a contributing writer/photographer before being brought onto the core BC team in 2017.
twitterinstagram
Comments will load 20 seconds after page. Click here to load them now.