Saturday Night Live kicked off its latest episode with a provocative cold open featuring James Austin Johnson portraying Donald Trump. The fictional Trump, eager to position himself as a peacemaker amid escalating tensions, jubilantly addressed the nation about the recent U.S. and Israeli strikes on Iran that resulted in the death of Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei.
The opening sketch humorously reflected the absurdity surrounding the swift military action, with Johnson’s Trump quipping about the timing: “People are asking, ‘Why attack Iran now?’ Well, we had to strike in the early hours of Saturday, which has two advantages militarily. One, it’s after the stock market closes for the weekend. And two, it’s to cause immeasurable fear, rage and chaos in the SNL writers’ room.”
Trump’s character proclaimed, “Happy World War III to all who celebrate,” presenting himself comically as both a “FIFA Peace Prize winner” and “Nobel Peace Prize taker.” He justified the attack by stating that “Iran has been two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon for like, the last 15 years,” while sarcastically declaring, “So we had to act now, and we’re doing war. War. What is it good for? Distracting from the Epstein files.”
The sketch touched on the division among Trump’s MAGA supporters regarding the strike, particularly with notable figures like former Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene and Tucker Carlson voicing their disapproval, especially as Trump has campaigned in 2024 for an end to foreign conflicts. Addressing the backlash, Johnson’s Trump retorted, “To all my MAGA voters who are upset and saying, ‘This is not what I voted for.’ Well, you did. Don’t you know who I am? I’m me. I don’t know what I’m going to do next.”
Colin Jost made a cameo as Pete Hegseth, delivering lines that humorously contrasted confidence with insecurity, stating, “Don’t let my confident demeanor fool you. I am scared, and I don’t know what I am doing.” The sketch culminated with Hegseth reassuring viewers that they should be grateful for the military action, suggesting that the elimination of Khamenei was a necessary good. Trump punctuated the moment humorously with, “But don’t get any ideas!”
This opening segment cleverly satirized a tense geopolitical situation while reflecting the ongoing chaotic nature of political discourse in the U.S. through humor.