Saturday Night Live took a comedic jab at Donald Trump’s association with the email allegations tied to Jeffrey Epstein in its Cold Open on November 15. The episode, hosted by Glen Powell with Olivia Dean as the musical guest, featured James Austin Johnson portraying Trump, who humorously claimed he would “release all the Epstein files” for a price of “$800.”
The Cold Open specifically addressed recent emails released by the House Oversight Committee related to Epstein’s estate, underlining Trump’s renewed scrutiny due to his connections with the late convicted sex offender. Epstein, who died in jail in August 2019, had faced serious charges before his death.
The sketch began with White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt, played by Ashley Padilla, fielding questions from journalists. One of the reporters, enacted by Kenan Thompson, provocatively inquired about what Trump “has to hide,” prompting Johnson’s Trump to respond, “I can answer that. I am hiding almost nothing, just enough to make it extremely suspicious.”
As the dialogue continued, Johnson’s Trump skillfully sidestepped questions regarding a particular email referencing Trump as the “dog that hasn’t barked” and other inquiries into his relationship with Epstein. “Trump exists across many timelines — it’s the Trump multiverse theory, and we just happen to be living in the worst possible one,” he quipped.
Johnson’s portrayal was rife with satirical humor as he held up a photo frame containing a redacted email, referring to it as a “beautiful, one-of-a-kind printed out screenshot” that would make “a great stocking stuffer.”
The emails in question reveal insights surrounding Epstein, who faced allegations of sex trafficking. Trump had once hinted at releasing related documents but later described the disclosures as a “hoax,” accusing Democrats of leveraging the situation to distract from their challenges in governance.
In a statement shared on Truth Social, Trump declared that he didn’t mind the impending release of additional documents. Meanwhile, White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson reaffirmed Trump’s stance that the emails, which mention him, are a tactic by Democrats to divert attention from their setbacks.
With its sharp and timely humor, Saturday Night Live continues to engage audiences by mixing politics and entertainment, providing a lens on current events through comedic sketches.