Former President Donald Trump reappeared during Saturday Night Live‘s cold open played by impressionist James Austin Johnson who perfectly depicted a Trumpian-style ramble during an appearance on a mocked-up Fox News Channel interview hosted by Laura Ingram, played by Kate McKinnon.
‘Talk of the 2024 Republican Primary is already heating up, so let’s talk to the svelte, muscular, 230-pound gorilla in the room, Donald Trump,’ McKinnon’s Ingraham, said introducing him.
‘It’s wonderful to be here. I’m back, just like Tiger King II. You had fun the first time, and now you’re like, “How are more people from this not in jail yet?”,’ Johnson’s Trump joked.
Former President Donald Trump reappeared during Saturday Night Live’s cold open played by impressionist James Austin Johnson
Trump, played by James Austin Johnson was a guest on a mocked up Laura Ingram Fox News show
‘Now, Mr President, you’re out on the trail again creating controversy with your typical whacko stuff and uncharacteristically reasonable takes on booster shots,Would you like to give our viewers a taste?” McKinnon’s Ingraham said, referring to how Trump has been heard publicly promoting vaccines among his base, event continuing to do so even after being booed for it.
Johnson’s Trump then proceeded to play Wordle, the letter-guessing game that has recently taken the world by storm.
‘I sure would. Let’s get today’s Wordle. Can we do that please?’ Johnson’s Trump responded, before launching head-long into a minute-long rant with a Wordle puzzle as his riff.
His puzzle featured words including Boost, Mayer, HIMYF, Momoa and Prada, before ultimately ending up at the final word of ‘Trump’.
Trump went on a rambling stream of consciousness rant using the addictive word game Wordle as a riff
‘I got the booster, okay. Because I made the vaccine. It’s a wonderful vaccine. But it’s very unfair what is happening with the covid treatment, okay. White people are being told to get in the back of line. It’s really awful,’ Trump began.
‘Speaking of white people, John Mayer. Okay, John Mayer hasn’t had a hit in so long, but we love Mayer, okay? Body wonderland. Come on, I thought it was tremendous music.
‘With Body wonderland,’ Johnson’s Trump said, as he discussed the word Mayer, ‘I’d rather be mayor of anything, than be Governor Ron DeSantis. I’d beat him so bad if he went against me, just like I beat Hillary because the only Hilary we like is Duff from How I Met Your Father.’
‘It really doesn’t have the charm and sparkle of, frankly, mother. Okay? But we love Duff. You know, she got her teeth fixed. And “Lizzie Mcguire,” you know, they wanted to do a Lizzie with Hulu, but they said no sex, they didn’t want sex. So they went their separate ways just like Lisa and Jason Mamoa.
‘And “The devil wears Prada.” “Daughters” is by John Mayer. And I’ve got to run through the hals of your high school in 2024 when you re-elect trump. Wordle!’
Ted Cruz, played by Aidy Bryant appeared to be interrogated over recent comments he made about last year’s Capitol siege in Washington D.C.
Ingram’s next guest was Ted Cruz who quickly became another target in the cold open with jokes aimed at the Texas Senator that seemed to resonate with the studio audience.
Cue, SNL cast member as Aidy Bryant, complete with full greying beard.
‘Beard still going strong, huh, Ted?’ McKinnon’s Ingram asked.
‘Oh, yeah. My beard is like January 6th. Shocking at first, but sadly it’s been normalized,’ Bryant’s Cruz responded.
It opened the way for Ingram to further interrogate Cruz over recent comments he made about last year’s Capitol siege in Washington D.C.
‘Speaking of January 6th, you recently had to apologize for calling the capitol rioters terrorists,’ Ingram posed.
‘I agree with you 100 percent,’ Cruz responded. ‘I never should have called them terrorists. The truth is, they are big, burly men with big ‘D’ energy. In fact, I actually like them a lot. They are my cool friends,’ he ranted.
The sketch referred to the a moment earlier this month when Cruz branded the Capitol riot ‘a violent terrorist attack.’
He later apologized for describing it as such calling it ‘sloppy phrasing’ stressing that what he was ‘referring to are the limited number of people who engaged in violent attacks against police officers.
‘I wasn’t saying the thousands of peaceful protesters supporting Donald Trump are somehow terrorists,’ added Cruz. ‘I wasn’t saying the millions of patriots cross-country supporting trump are terrorists, that is what a lot of people misunderstood.’
On the comedy show, Cruz was asked why he apologized for calling the January 6 riot a ‘violent terrorist attack’. The show also mocked his unwavering loyalty to Trump
In Saturday’s SNL sketch, Cruz continued to display his loyalty for former President Trump.
‘And Donald, if you’re watching, I love you, baby. You are the king. Honestly, hit me,’ Cruz said, referring to the former president.
‘Did you just ask trump to hit you?’ Ingram asked.
‘Oh, I don’t know. Hit me, choke me, spit in my face. I just want to stay in the mix,’ Cruz explained.
‘Oh, and one more thing. I like to remind all my fellow Texans watching at home that February’s going to be a cold one, so you might want to book your vacay to Cancun now. Live mas, everybody!’ Cruz joked, in a reference to last years scandal when he left the Lone Star State to head to a Mexican beach resort after a winter storm slammed the state.
Throughout the cold open, McKinnon’s Ingraham thanked the sponsors she still had including a pretend company that made negative covid tests
Throughout the cold open, Ingraham thanked the sponsors she still had:
‘I’d like to take a moment to thank my few remaining loyal sponsors. Covid negs, the covid test that’s guaranteed to be negative even if you have it. Covid negs, I’m going to your wedding.
Actor Will Forte hosted this week’s episode – the second of 2022, with Måneskin as the show’s musical guest.
Forte made reference as to how he is the last of his former SNL co-workers to be asked to host the show.
SNL creator and producer Lorne Michaels appeared stating that he had made a mistake in asking Forte to be the host joking that he had meant to text Willem Dafoe, who also made a cameo appearance.
During SNL’s Weekend Update, cast members Pete Davidson and Colin Jost referred to their purchase of an old Staten Island Ferry earlier thi wee.
Davidson was spotted on the same day bundled up to bear the freezing temperatures in his hometown of New York City
‘We’re boat people, Colin.’ Davidson joked.
The pair purchased a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat for $280,100 with plans to turn it into New York’s hottest club.
Jost and Davidson teamed up with comedy club owner Paul Italia on Wednesday’s winning bid for the John F. Kennedy, a 277-foot vessel that shuttled commuters between the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Staten Island from 1965 until it was taken out of service last August.
The boat was auctioned by New York City’s Department of Citywide Administrative Services, and other city departments will have to sign off on operating it as a floating nightspot.
Jost, far right, and Davidson, far left, teamed up with comedy club owner Paul Italia on Wednesday winning a $280,100 bid for the John F. Kennedy Staten Island Ferry
Saturday Night Live comics Colin Jost and Pete Davidson have purchased a decommissioned Staten Island Ferry boat with plans to turn it into New York’s hottest club