Jimmy Fallon brings Mayor Zohran Mamdani onstage after joke controversy

The evening’s host, Jimmy Fallon, who received backlash for rehashing the same joke about New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani, brought the mayor onstage during a surprise appearance and delivered the punchline himself.

Fallon has faced criticism since December for repeating the same “too cold” joke about the new mayor on multiple episodes without acknowledging the reused punchline.

“It was so cold in New York City this morning that I saw a Wall Street broker kissing Zohran Mamdani while I was walking to work,” said Fallon, who will repeat some variation of the joke on at least two additional episodes of “The Tonight Show” for the first time on Dec. 9.

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During Monday’s taping, Mamdani kept the joke going by repeating the punchline of cold weather following a major winter storm that hit New York City.

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Fallon opened his monologue with colder weather jokes, saying at one point: “It’s so cold, President Trump had a heater installed in the MRI machine.”

Mamdani then took the stage to applaud, even though she was not listed as a scheduled guest. NBC had introduced Pete Davidson, Paris Hilton and Don Toliver before the show.

“Jimmy, let me try it,” Mamdani said. “It’s so cold in New York City that the rent froze on its own. … Good night everyone.”

The joke was in reference to Mamdani’s push for a rent freeze, a key promise of his winning bid for mayor. The campaign website continues to list freezing rents as a top priority.

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Before leaving, the mayor urged New Yorkers to take precautions in cold weather, adding: “But seriously, stay inside. Stay warm. Stay safe.”

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani and host Jimmy Fallon pose together backstage on “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon” on Monday (January 26). (Todd Owyoung/NBC via Getty Images)

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Mamdani’s appearance comes as New York City continues to assess the impact of the winter storm that battered the region over the weekend. City officials said more than a meter of snow had fallen in some areas. linked to at least 10 deaths.

Addressing the deaths at a press conference on Tuesday, the mayor said: “We don’t know yet whether every case will be considered hypothermia. But we need every New Yorker to be vigilant and watch out for their neighbors.”