“Saturday Night Live” brought in a surprise guest to mock Trump—and take a swipe at its own predictable sketches.
Fresh off his stunning election victory in Texas, Democratic Sen.-elect James Talarico made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live—and wasted no time poking fun at the show itself.
“I’m James Talarico, the guy who’s been texting you every day asking for $5,” Talarico said as the crowd erupted in thunderous applause.
Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, quipped, “In this economy, who can blame you?”
James Talarico upstages “SNL” Trump on “Saturday Night Live.”
“But I think, Mr. President, if we can work together, we can make life better for everyday Americans,” Talarico said, after pulling off a stunning 12-point victory in historically Republican Texas on Tuesday.
Talarico continued, “It’s clear people want something new. They want something different. I’m talking, of course, about SNL’s cold opens. How many of these Trump freezers are they gonna do?”
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Trump responded, “Infinity!”
James Talarico (real) with Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) on “SNL.”
The cold open Talarico referred to followed the familiar format of characters remaining frozen while Trump rants to the audience directly.
This time, the frozen characters were House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries (played by Kenan Thompson) and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer (Sarah Sherman).
The two Democrats celebrated their party’s midterm wins and considered their own roles in the party going forward.
“SNL” Hakeem Jeffries (Kenan Thompson) and Chuck Schumer (Sarah Sherman).
“These young Democrats have the base energized,” said SNL’s Jeffries. “Perhaps it’s time for us to step aside and pass the torch to the next generation.”
After a moment’s pause, the two leaders broke into laughter at the idea.
“No, never!” Jeffries said.
Saturday’s episode was the show’s first since the midterm elections on Tuesday, in which Democrats won by decisive margins in the House and Senate.
As of Saturday night, Democrats were projected to control 56 Senate seats and more than 255 House seats in the next Congress, giving the party its strongest grip on Capitol Hill since 2009.
So far, Trump has responded to his party’s devastating losses by replacing his chief of staff, Susie Wiles, with her controversial deputy, Stephen Miller.
The cold open also featured Colin Jost as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, whose future in the Trump administration appeared even more precarious than Wiles’.
“SNL” Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) and Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost ).
“I’m gonna keep losing for you, sir, unless Congress impeaches me,” SNL’s Hegseth told Trump. “But you won’t let that happen, right?”
“Of course not,” said Trump. “Unless I do, which I will.”
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