“Saturday Night Live” opened this week’s episode with Donald Trump commenting on the battle to buy Warner Bros. Discovery — by asking why anyone would even want to buy the studio: “They’ve got one of the worst studio lot tours in LA,” he groused. “You go on that thing, and it’s just some kid pointing to a tree. ‘Oh, that’s the tree from “Pretty Little Liars.” Who gives a crap.”
“Trump,” played as usual by James Austin Johnson, was answering press questions on Air Force One — much to the chagrin of press secretary Karoline Leavitt (Ashley Padilla).
“It’s your favourite president hiding behind my curtain — Behind the curtain, something I enjoyed doing at Miss Teen USA in 1997,” Johnson’s Trump said. “You know, this is exciting. Tonight, I took both an Ambien and an Adderall, so we’re going to see which one wins.
“How great is Karoline Leavitt,” he then said, turning to Padilla as the press secretary. “We love her. Oh, she’s got a beautiful face and those lips that don’t quit. It’s pretty amazing that I can just openly simp over my young blonde subordinate. It’s giving Michigan football coach. Can we get a close-up? People need to see this. Look at those lips. They go like a machine gun. She liked it because I’m very nice to women.”
He then turned to “CNN’s Kaitlan Collins”: “Yes, you have a question, you nasty, horrible witch.” (The real Collins, of course, was called “stupid and nasty” by Trump for asking about his plans for the White House ballroom.)
Asked by a reporter whether he’d continue to carry out strikes on Venezuela in the Caribbean, Trump pointed to how he’s not just targeting drug boats anymore. “We’re targeting suspected drug planes as well. In fact, we have some declassified video from a strike I can show you now. We have that clip.”
Cut to a black and white video of Santa and his reindeer being bombed. “Is that Santa?” asked the shocked reporter. Answered Trump: “Not anymore!”
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And then Trump was asked about the latest batch of Jeffrey Epstein photos released by House Democrats. “Look, the fact is, these photos are fake news. A Democrat hoax,” he said. Responded the reporter: “Even the picture of a bowl of condoms with your face on them, and the text saying ‘I’m huge’?”
Said Trump: “They’re 100% legit. I love those files. I’m in the files! I took a lot of great pictures.”
Josh O’Connor is the host of the Dec. 13 episode, with Lily Allen as the musical guest. This reps the first ever “SNL” hosting appearance for O’Connor, the Emmy-winning “The Crown” star who is promoting his appearance in the Netflix film “Wake Up Dead Man: A Knives Out Mystery.”
As for Allen, this reps her first musical appearance on “SNL” since Feb. 3, 2007, when she performed during an episode hosted by Drew Barrymore. This marks the first time both the “SNL” host and musical guest both hailed from the U.K. since Eric Idle and Kate Bush in 1978.
This reps the eighth episode of “SNL” this season. Previous hosts have included Bad Bunny (Oct. 4), Amy Poehler (Oct. 11), Sabrina Carpenter (Oct. 18), Miles Teller (Nov. 1), Nikki Glaser (Nov. 8), Glen Powell (Nov. 15) and Melissa McCarthy (Dec. 6). Coming up is Ariana Grande (Dec. 20).
And previous musical guests this season have been Doja Cat (Oct. 4), Role Model (Oct. 11), Sabrina Carpenter (Oct. 18), Brandi Carlile (Nov. 1), sombr (Nov. 8), Olivia Dean (Nov. 15) and Dijon (Dec. 6). Coming up is Cher (Dec. 20).
Watch the cold open below.
From Variety US