Saturday Night Live: Always in Your Corner, Trump

The latest episode of “Saturday Night Live”, the first since Donald Trump’s election victory, opened with a grim atmosphere. A group of cast members, mostly composed of women and minorities, shared their sobering reflections on the current state of affairs.

Ego Nwodim addressed the audience, stating, “For many people, including those watching tonight, the election results were shocking and deeply unsettling.”

Heidi Gardner remarked, “Donald Trump, who attempted to forcibly overturn the previous election’s results, is now back in office.”

Bowen Yang added, “And now, thanks to the Supreme Court, we find ourselves without any safeguards.”

However, the tone quickly shifted from somber to satirical as Keenan Thompson expressed, “That’s why we at ‘SNL’ want to declare that we’ve always been on your side, Donald Trump.”

Yang followed up with, “We have consistently supported you, even when others expressed doubt.”

“Each person on this stage has always believed in you,” asserted Sarah Sherman.

Marcello Hernández enthusiastically claimed, “Everyone here voted for you.”

The cast playfully continued their cheeky tribute, introducing a new character called “Hot, Jacked Trump.” James Austin Johnson, recognized for his impersonation of Trump, appeared as an impressively fit president-elect.

In a nod to both comedy and admiration, Johnson remarked in his Trump impression, “From now on, we’ll portray Trump in a very flattering light, because honestly, he’s my hero. He’s destined to be an incredible president and eventually a king.”

This episode was notably hosted by stand-up comedian Bill Burr, marking a departure from the previous episodes which featured former cast member Maya Rudolph as Vice President Kamala Harris, culminating in her appearance alongside Harris the previous week as part of the show’s 50th season. Burr’s hosting followed Dave Chappelle’s two consecutive performances in the post-election episodes.

During his monologue, Burr joked, “I don’t follow politics,” before returning to the pressing topic at hand: the election. He quipped, “Alright, let’s discuss what you’re all eager to talk about. Ladies, you’re 0-and-2 against this guy. But remember, you learn more from your losses than your victories. Let’s review the game tape. Ladies, the pantsuit isn’t working—it’s time to rethink your approach.”

He provocatively suggested candidates who might benefit from showing a bit more skin, saying, “I know many feminists may not want to hear this, but a new strategy could be in order.”

Burr expressed his relief as the election cycle finally concluded, stating, “We all knew our votes four years ago. This drawn-out process was utterly ridiculous.”

Reflecting on the election aftermath, the opening of SNL following Trump’s first victory was notably somber. Kate McKinnon, portraying Hillary Clinton, sat at a piano and delivered a touching rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” adjusting only a single verse to convey the emotions of the moment.

“Even when everything went wrong, I’ll stand before the lord of song with nothing on my tongue but ‘Hallelujah,’” McKinnon sang, creating a poignant moment of reflection for those disheartened by the election results.

After her emotional performance, McKinnon concluded, “I’m not giving up, and neither should you,” before delivering the signature line, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”

This Saturday night, Rudolph did not reprise her role as Harris; however, former cast member Dana Carvey made a surprise appearance as a jumping Elon Musk after the cast expressed their affection for him.

Post-opening, the sketches shifted back to typical non-election content, with the exception of the satirical “Weekend Update.”

Faux co-anchor Colin Jost humorously stated, “On Tuesday, we discovered that Democrats may not know how to rig an election after all.”

He followed with a remark about the future, saying, “Knowing Democrats, they’ll likely reflect on their mistakes and run Biden again in 2028.”

Co-anchor Michael Che, while sipping a drink during the segment, commented on the disconnect he felt regarding the election, stating, “Clearly, I’ve been spending too much time around you white liberals with your unrealistic optimism.”