Mayor Zohran Mamdani Refuses Jimmy Kimmel’s Request to Text Trump a Selfie of Them

BEVERLY HILLS, CALIFORNIA - MAY 02: Jimmy Kimmel attends the 28th Annual UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation's "Taste For A Cure" event at Beverly Wilshire, A Four Seasons Hotel on May 02, 2025 in Beverly Hills, California. (Photo by Tommaso Boddi/Getty Images for UCLA Jonsson Cancer Center Foundation) NEW YORK, NEW YORK - JULY 15: Democratic socialist candidate Zohran Mamdani, who won the Democratic primary for mayor of New York City, attends an endorsement event from the union DC 37 on July 15, 2025, in New York City. Weeks after Mamdani won the Democratic primary for mayor, various wealthy interest groups have begun to mobilize against the 33-year-old state assemblyman. Mamdani has vowed to freeze rent hikes for a year, make buses free, and increase taxes on wealthy New Yorkers. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday that he will continue his run for New York City mayor after losing to Zohran Mamdani in last month's Democratic primary. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) — Tommaso Boddi / 2025 Getty Images

The late-night show has returned to the New York City borough for a week of shows at the Brooklyn Academy of Music.

It’s Kimmel’s eighth time filming “Live,” where he was born and spent his early years. He will be welcoming heavy-hitting guests, from Howard Stern and Billy Crystal to Paul McCartney and Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT).

He said the show received over 150,000 ticket requests, and kicked off his Brooklyn week with guests Pete Davidson and Mayor Zohran Mamdani, as well as a musical performance by TV on the Radio, celebrating the 20th anniversary of their album “Return to Cookie Mountain.”

After his sit-down interview with Davidson, who was promoting his Netflix video podcast “The Pete Davidson Show” and upcoming film “How to Rob a Bank,” Kimmel welcomed Mayor Mamdani.

He prefaced his arrival with clips of Fox News predicting that NYC would become “terrifying” under Mamdani and crime would go “through the roof.” That proved to be wrong, as murders and shootings in the city hit record lows in Mamdani’s first 7 months.

“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 US and I think the best way to do it is to charm him.’ How did you do that, and can you help me?”

Mamdani laughed. “Sorry brother,” he replied. “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.”

Kimmel then showed a video clip of Mamdani standing next to Trump at Gracie Mansion as the president gave rambling speech, with Mamdani standing there stone-faced. “I mean, it is remarkable,” offered Kimmel. “I watch that, and I go, ‘OK, this is not a guy I’d want to play poker with.’”

Mamdani said that while Trump is speaking, he’s only focused on getting federal approval for his proposed Sunnyside Yard project, a development in Queens that would feature 12,000 new homes and create 30,000 jobs.

“You text with the president, I’ve read?” Kimmel pressed. “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,” replied Mamdani. “One of the other things the president mentioned that I care very deeply about is Haitian New Yorkers. They’ve had their Protected Status ended, and I believe we need to do whatever we can so they have stability. They’re part of the fabric of this city.”

No Selfie for Trump

Kimmel asked if they could text Trump “a selfie of us right now,” but Mamdani shut him down: “Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more.”

Jimmy Kimmel Live 2026: Mayor Zohran Mamdani Refuses Request to Text Trump a Selfie of Them

Mayor Zohran Mamdani Refuses Jimmy Kimmel’s Request to Text Trump a Selfie of Them

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