Saturday Night Live officially returned for its 52nd season on September 26, featuring host Jalen Brunson of the New York Knicks and musical guest Katseye. The season premiere opened with a cold open sketch set against the backdrop of the nor'easter that affected the East Coast, focusing on the recent, highly publicized meeting between President Donald Trump and New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani.
James Austin Johnson reprised his role as Donald Trump, appearing alongside Ramy Youssef, who returned to portray Mayor Mamdani. During the sketch, Trump insisted on their friendship, telling the mayor, "For some reason that no one can figure out, I really, really like you," and labeling himself the mayor's "best friend." When Johnson’s Trump suggested their bond was rooted in a shared connection to Queens, the mayor remarked on the irony of potentially growing up in one of the president's apartment buildings. Trump retorted, "Not with that last name." Throughout the segment, the mayor was depicted as attempting to distance himself from the president, while Trump likened their dynamic to an "unlikely animal friendship, like when a tiger gets together with a baby goat."
The sketch also addressed several other headlines from Trump's week, including his recent decision to ban journalists from three major news outlets from the White House and his widely discussed change to a darker hair color. "I kicked out the press, and hung out with the president of China, Xi," Johnson’s Trump said. "And yeah, I went brunet. It's fall!" Additionally, the sketch introduced Ashley Padilla’s impression of Trump aide Natalie Harp, portraying her as an unstable character who warned Mamdani, "If you hurt him, I will end you."
The show enters this new year with two new featured players, Saidah Belo-Osagie and Grace Reiter. While the Season 51 cast remains largely intact, the show saw the departure of Chloe Fineman after seven seasons and writer Martin Herlihy, a member of the comedy trio Please Don't Destroy, following five seasons. The five newcomers who joined the cast in 2025—Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska—have returned for their second season, alongside anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che on "Weekend Update."
This premiere marks the first of three consecutive episodes. Dakota Johnson is set to host on October 3 with musical guest Turnstile, followed by Shane Gillis and musical guest Rosalía on October 10. Following a two-week hiatus, the show will return on October 31 for a special Halloween episode hosted by "Obsession" star Inde Navarrette, with musical guest Gracie Abrams.
