In a surprising twist, 'Saturday Night Live' kicked off its post-election episode with a heavy dose of sarcasm, lampooning Donald Trump and Elon Musk in a way that has viewers both laughing and cringing.
- Nov 10, 2024
AceShowbiz - The cast of "Saturday Night Live" opened their first episode after the 2024 election with biting satire aimed at newly re-elected President Donald Trump. The cold open began with cast members Bowen Yang, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernandez, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Colin Jost addressing the camera somberly.
"On Tuesday, Americans went to the polls and elected Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States," Yang began, "To many people, including many people watching this show right now, the results were shocking and even horrifying."
With a clever twist, the cast switched gears and pretended to praise Trump earnestly. Thompson sarcastically said, "We at SNL would like to say to Donald Trump: we've been with you all along," while Yang followed up with, "We have never wavered in our support of you, even when others doubted you." Sherman added comically, "Every single person on this stage believed in you," and Hernández chimed in, "Every single person on this stage voted for you."
James Austin Johnson then debuted his new character: "Hot Jacked Trump." Wearing an exaggerated muscle suit, Johnson declared, "From now on, we're going to do a very flattering portrayal of Trump because he's frankly my hero, and he's going to make an incredible president and eventually King."
The parody continued with a surprise appearance from Dana Carvey as Elon Musk, donning an outfit strikingly similar to Musk's preferred all-black attire and channeling the billionaire's "dark MAGA" persona. "I run the country now," he bragged.
Carvey's Musk complemented Trump's comic portrayal by energizing the stage with an exaggerated South African accent, "America's gonna be like one of my rockets, you know, they're super cool and super fun, but there's a slight chance it could blow up and everybody dies."
While Maya Rudolph was notably absent, leaving behind her portrayal of Vice President Kamala Harris, this season's political comedy lineup has featured a dynamic ensemble of guest stars. These include Carvey as Joe Biden, Andy Samberg as Doug Emhoff, and Jim Gaffigan as VP candidate Tim Walz, alongside the SNL cast's portrayals of Trump and JD Vance.
The post-election episode successfully blended satire and comedy, reflecting both the absurdity and the gravity of the current political climate, engaging viewers in a manner only "SNL" can master.