The first episode of Saturday Night Live following Donald Trump‘s election victory kicked off with a notably somber atmosphere. A group of cast members, mostly women and people of color, reflected on the grim shift in their world.
Ego Nwodim began, in a serious tone: “To many people, including many people watching right now, the results were shocking and even horrifying.”
Heidi Gardner added, “Donald Trump, who forcibly tried to overturn the results of the last election, was returned to office.”
“And now,” Bowen Yang continued, “thanks to the Supreme Court, there are no guardrails.”
Then, in a surprising twist, the show, known for its liberal leanings, shifted gears.
“That is why we at ‘SNL’ would like to say to Donald Trump, we have been with you all along,” said Kenan Thompson.
Yang followed with, “We have never wavered in our support for you, even when others doubted you.”
“Every single person on this stage believed in you,” Sarah Sherman declared.
Marcello Hernández chimed in, “Every single person on this stage voted for you.”
The cast then launched into a satirical celebration of Trump, introducing a new character, “Hot, Jacked Trump,” as they parodied an extreme form of reverence for the former president.
James Austin Johnson, whose uncanny impersonation of Trump has made him a fixture on the show, appeared as a hyper-masculine, Adonis-like version of the president-elect.
“From now on we’re going to do a very flattering portrayal of Trump, because frankly he’s my hero,” Johnson, in character, said in his Trump voice, but speaking as himself. “He’s going to make an incredible president and eventually king.”
Hosted by stand-up comedian Bill Burr, this episode was the first of the season to not feature Maya Rudolph’s portrayal of Vice President Kamala Harris. Rudolph’s run as Harris had ended with a high note the previous week, when Harris herself appeared, marking a significant moment for the show and boosting its ratings.
Burr, following Dave Chappelle‘s recent hosting of two post-election episodes, opened his monologue with a bit of distance from politics. “I don’t watch politics,” he said, before launching into his usual stand-up routine, which included a joke about airplane travel. He eventually returned to the election, though, acknowledging the audience’s interest.
“Alright, let’s get to what you all want to talk about. Alright ladies, you’re 0-and-2 against this guy,” Burr said, before offering some tongue-in-cheek advice. “But you learn more from your losses than your wins. So let’s get into the game tape. Ladies, enough with the pantsuit. Okay, it’s not working. Stop trying to have respect for yourself.”
Burr even suggested candidates with more revealing wardrobes. “I know a lot of ugly women — feminists, I mean — don’t want to hear this message,” he quipped.
He later expressed relief that the election cycle had finally concluded. “I’m so psyched that this stupid election is finally over. Everybody knew who they were going to vote for four years ago. Then they just dragged us through a year and a half of this stuff,” Burr said.
While Rudolph did not reprise her role as Harris that night, former cast member Dana Carvey made an appearance as an exuberant Elon Musk after the cast declared their admiration for him, too.
After the opening, the show shifted back into its usual mix of sketches, though political commentary remained a key focus, especially in the Weekend Update segment which you can watch below.
“We learned on Tuesday that Democrats don’t actually know how to rig an election,” Colin Jost deadpanned.
Later, he joked, “If I know Democrats, they’re going to take a long look in the mirror, learn from their mistakes, and run Biden again in 2028.”
Co-anchor Michael Che, who is Black, humorously vented his disbelief. “Clearly I’ve been spending too much time with you white liberals and your goofy optimism,” Che said, after remarking on the misjudgment about Harris’ chances in rural Pennsylvania.