Mamdani Tells Kimmel He 'Loves Housing More' Than Selfie — SkimNews
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- Jimmy Kimmel launched his eighth Brooklyn week of "Jimmy Kimmel Live" at the Brooklyn Academy of Music, with the show receiving over 150,000 ticket requests and booked guests including Howard Stern, Billy Crystal, Paul McCartney, and Sen. Bernie Sanders.
- NYC Mayor Zohran Mamdani appeared alongside Pete Davidson as the kickoff guests of Kimmel's Brooklyn run, with TV on the Radio performing to mark the 20th anniversary of their album "Return to Cookie Mountain."
- Mamdani was introduced via a montage of Fox News clips predicting NYC would become "terrifying" under him, which Kimmel countered by noting that murders and shootings in the city hit record lows in Mamdani's first seven months.
- Mamdani told Kimmel that he and President Trump have "many disagreements" but share a love for the city, with their first meeting taking place in November of last year at Gracie Mansion.
- Mamdani said he texts Trump "from time to time" about the Sunnyside Yard project — a Queens development featuring an estimated 12,000 new homes and approximately 30,000 jobs — and about Haitian New Yorkers whose Protected Status was ended.
- When Kimmel asked if they could text Trump a selfie of the two of them, Mamdani declined: "Jimmy, I love you, but I love housing more."
Why it matters: For New Yorkers, the interview's substantive reveals — 12,000 homes and 30,000 jobs tied to Sunnyside Yard, plus Mamdani's stated push for Haitian New Yorkers facing TPS termination — offer the clearest window yet into what his private communications with Trump actually cover. The viral "love housing more" punchline crystallizes his brand: engage with anyone, including the president, if it delivers city priorities.
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