‘Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more’: Kimmel fails to get Mamdani to make a personal gesture to Trump
‘Sorry, brother.’
Late-night host Jimmy Kimmel kicked off a week of shows in Brooklyn at the Brooklyn Academy of Music on Monday, September 28, 2026. He brought out New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to a crowd that offered massive cheers, which stood in stark contrast to the reception Kimmel noted his own mayor would receive back in Los Angeles.
According to Rolling Stone, Kimmel started the segment by playing clips of various pundits who had warned that Mamdani would bring the city to total destruction. When asked how that destruction was going, the mayor kept it light and replied that it was proceeding as planned. The conversation eventually shifted toward the mayor’s relationship with Donald Trump. Kimmel was curious how the two managed to maintain such a friendly dynamic despite their obvious political differences.
Kimmel asked the mayor if they hit it off immediately or if there was a deliberate strategy to charm the president. He even asked if he could help him. Mamdani simply told the host, “Sorry, brother.” He explained that while he and the president have many disagreements, they share a common love for New York City. He said he approaches every meeting with the goal of focusing on New Yorkers rather than their personal politics.
Mamdani says his main aim is to make life in NYC a little bit easier for everyone
The host also brought up a specific moment from Mamdani and Trump’s recent meeting at Gracie Mansion where the president gave a rambling speech while the mayor stood by, stone-faced. Kimmel admitted that he found the footage remarkable and joked that he would not want to play poker against the mayor.
He kept pressing to see what the mayor hoped to gain from this relationship. Mamdani was clear about his priorities. He is focused on getting federal approval for the Sunnyside Yard project. This development in Queens would feature an estimated 12,000 new homes and create approximately 30,000 jobs.
Mamdani told the audience that he and the president communicate from time to time about the project and how to deliver for the city. The mayor also highlighted his concerns for Haitian New Yorkers, noting that he wants to see them have stability after their protected status ended. He emphasized that these residents are a vital part of the fabric of the city.
Kimmel then tried to push further by asking the mayor if he would text a selfie of the two of them to the president right then and there. Mamdani refused the request with a polite but firm boundary. He told the host, “Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more.”
The moment highlighted the mayor’s single-minded focus on his policy goals
During the discussion, Kimmel got his usual digs against Trump in. He jokingly asked if the mayor was sure the president did not think he was texting about eggs when discussing Sunnyside. The mayor laughed and confirmed that their text exchanges were quite normal and did not resemble the president’s posts on Truth Social. The rapport between the two is certainly unexpected, but it seems to be built on a foundation of professional necessity for the mayor.
Trump first met with Mamdani last November and remarked that the mayor could surprise some conservative people. He even declared that the better the mayor does, the happier he is. Even though the president called him a nice guy with bad policy during his State of the Union address, the lines of communication have remained open.
The mayor discussed several other creative ideas during the show, including his Parents’ Night Out initiative. He also talked about his plans for a city-run grocery store, building new public bathrooms, and fixing the Brooklyn-Queens Expressway. Mamdani shared that people are struggling and he feels privileged to hold the greatest job in the world. He wants to do whatever he can to make it easier for people to smile every day.
Kimmel ended the segment by asking if the mayor would consider moving to Los Angeles to serve as their mayor instead. The Jimmy Kimmel Live! Brooklyn shows are being taped at the Howard Gilman Opera House.
The lineup for the week is packed with guests like Mahershala Ali, Billy Crystal, Pete Davidson, Robby Hoffman, Paul McCartney, Seth Meyers, Tom Morello, John Oliver, Bernie Sanders, and Howard Stern. Musical guests for the week include De La Soul, Goose, and TV on the Radio.
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