Jimmy Kimmel kicked off his week in Brooklyn last night with an appearance from New York City mayor Zohran Mamdani. Kimmel opened his segment with the politician by sharing a series of clips of pundits warning about how Mamdani would bring the city to destruction.
After Mamdani emerged to massive cheers, Kimmel quipped, “I live in Los Angeles and that is not the reception our mayor would get.” He then asked, “How is the complete and total destruction of New York going?”
“You know, it’s proceeding as planned,” Mamdani replied.
Throughout the interview, Mandani discussed his “creative ideas” for the city, including his “Parents’ Night Out” initiative, wanting to open a city-run grocery store, building new public bathrooms, people getting down into the sewers, and fixing the BQE.
“People are struggling and I have the privilege of having the greatest job in the world,” Mandani said. “And whatever I can do to make it easier for people to smile every day, that’s something I want to do.”
Kimmel also focused on the mayor’s relationship with Donald Trump. “Another thing that is very unexpected is this relationship that you have with President Trump, which seems to be a very friendly relationship,” Kimmel said. “Did you guys hit it off immediately, or is it something that you really went into thinking, ‘OK, I need to have a relationship with the president of the United States and I think the best way to do it is to charm him’? How did you do that? And can you help me?”
“Sorry brother,” Mamdani replied. “Look, the president and I have many disagreements. One thing we do agree on is this city, how much we love this city, so from that first meeting in November of last year, I was just thinking of ‘How we can make this meeting not about us, but about New Yorkers?’ How can we spend that time talking about the things that can make life in the city a little bit easier?’ And that’s what it’s been whether we’ve met at the White House at Gracie Mansion.”
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Kimmel then played a clip of Mamdani and Trump at Gracie Mansion when Trump gave a rambling speech and Mamdani stood stone-faced beside him. “I mean, it is remarkable,” Kimmel said. “I watch that, and I go, ‘OK, this is not a guy I’d want to play poker with.’”
He added of Trump, “He just seems to like you and that is it. That’s all that seems to matter I guess.” He asked what Mamdani hopes to gain from his relationship with Trump. The mayor explained that his priority is getting federal approval for his proposed Sunnyside Yard project, a development in Queens that would feature an estimated 12,000 new homes and create approximately 30,000 jobs.
“You text with the president, I’ve read?” Kimmel asked. “From time to time we’re in communication, and it’s about Sunnyside Yard, and it’s about how we can deliver for the city,” Mamdani responded. “One of the other things the president mentioned that we spoke about, that I care very deeply about, is Haitian New Yorkers. They’ve had their Protected Status ended, and I really believe we need to do whatever we can so they have stability. They’re part of the fabric of this city.”
“If you texted him a selfie of us right now?” Kimmel asked. Mamdani refused. “Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more,” he said.
Kimmel’s Brooklyn shows are being taped at the Brooklyn Academy of Music’s Howard Gilman Opera House. Guests for the show include Mahershala Ali, Billy Crystal, Pete Davidson, Robby Hoffman, Paul McCartney, Seth Meyers, Tom Morello, John Oliver, Bernie Sanders, and Howard Stern, with musical guests De La Soul, Goose, and TV On the Radio, who performed last night.
From Rolling Stone US
