What To Know
- SNL’s cold open satirized Democrats celebrating midterm victories that gave them control of both the House and Senate.
- James Austin Johnson’s Trump took credit for the Democratic wins, citing the economy and a “terrible war,” while lamenting his lame-duck status.
- Texas senator-elect James Talarico appeared to call for bipartisan cooperation and joke about SNL’s frequent Trump-themed cold opens.
James Talarico crashed Saturday Night Live‘s cold open after his midterm election win to interrupt President Donald Trump with an important message.
In the Saturday, November 7 episode of SNL, Sarah Sherman played Chuck Schumer and Kenan Thompson played Hakeem Jeffries to kick off the cold open. The two longtime Democrats relished in the blue wave at the midterm elections, resulting in Democrats taking both the Senate and the House.
“This election marked a seismic shift in politics,” Schumer said, and Jeffries agreed.
“These young Democrats have the base energized, Jeffries pointed out. “Perhaps it’s time for us to step aside and pass the torch to the next generation.”
Following cheers and applause from the studio audience, both Schumer and Jeffries burst into laughter. “No, never!” the latter declared. “I’d like to make a toast. Let’s raise our glasses, shall we, to the Democrats. We flipped the House. We flipped the Senate. And how did we do it?”
“Me!” exclaimed James Austin Johnson as Trump, as he slid into the camera’s view. “That’s right. The Democrats never would have won without this horrible economy and terrible war. So in the words of Moana’s big, fat friend, ‘You’re welcome.’ Maui, Chris Rock.”
The POTUS continued, “But now, I am lame duck. They’re saying the era of Trump is over.”
Suddenly, Jeremy Culhane as Vice President JD Vance interrupted, “And the era of Vance has just begun!”
“No, go away,” Trump said, to which Vance immediately gave up, saying, “Eh, worth a shot.”
Trump added, “The next two years are going to be awful. I don’t want to work with these people. It’s not that they’re Dumbocrats, it’s that they’re Millennials. Even worse: Millennial cringe is back. New Girl, adorkable, mason jar wedding, etc., etc. They’ll be doing stomp-clap songs.”
After Trump went on a tangent about New Girl, Colin Jost and Secretary of War Pete Hegseth appeared and promised Trump that he would “never, ever leave” him.
“I live a YOLO lifestyle — you only lose often — so I’m gonna keep losing for you, sir. Unless Congress impeaches me. But you won’t let that happen, right?”
“Of course not,” Trump reassured him. “Unless I do, which I will.”
At the end of the cold open, Talarico — a Democrat from Texas who won a seat in the U.S. Senate — crashed the set to enthusiastic applause and cheers.
“Hi, America. I’m James Talarico, the guy who’s been texting you every day asking for $5,” he said. “But I think, Mr. President, if we can work together, we can make life better for everyday Americans. 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 going to do?”
To that, the POTUS proclaimed, “Infinity!”
Talarico replied, “Well, in that case, there’s only one thing left to say,” as he and Trump shouted, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
What did you think of SNL‘s cold open?
Saturday Night Live, Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET on NBC
This story originally appeared on TV Insider
