SNL’s Sarcastic Cold Open Mocks Trump’s Return to Office with “Hot Jacked Trump” Skit

Saturday Night Live took a sharp, satirical jab at President-elect Donald Trump in its cold open on November 10, following his unexpected victory in the presidential election. Cast members Bowen Yang, Heidi Gardner, Marcello Hernández, Ego Nwodim, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Colin Jost opened the show with a mock tribute to Trump that was drenched in sarcasm.

“On Tuesday, Americans went to the polls and elected Donald Trump to be the next president of the United States,” Bowen Yang began, setting the tone for the skit. Ego Nwodim chimed in with, “To many people, including many people watching this show right now, the results were shocking and even horrifying.”

The cast pulled no punches in their exaggerated praise, highlighting Trump’s controversial legacy. “Donald Trump, who tried to forcibly overturn the results of the last election, was returned to office by an overwhelming majority,” Heidi Gardner stated, while Kenan Thompson reminded viewers, “This is the same Donald Trump who openly called for vengeance against his political enemies.”

Yang and Nwodim added, “Now thanks to the Supreme Court, there are no guard rails, nothing to protect the people who are brave enough to speak out against him.” The skit continued with Kenan delivering the punchline, “And that is why we at SNL would like to say to Donald Trump: we’ve been with you all along,” signaling a turn into blatant, tongue-in-cheek humor.

The cast members, adopting an over-the-top loyalist stance, sarcastically professed their unwavering support for Trump. “Every single person on this stage believed in you,” Sarah Sherman said, with Marcello Hernández adding, “Every single person on this stage voted for you.” The hyperbolic declarations continued as Ego declared, “We see ourselves in you. We look at you and think, ‘That’s me,’” followed by Sarah saying, “That’s the man I want my future children to look up to.”

Colin Jost wrapped it up with an extra layer of irony: “Mr. Trump, your honor, we know that you say things that are controversial sometimes, but really you’re just speaking the truth. And I hate how the lamestream media, Michael Che, tried to spin it to make you look foolish.”

Kenan Thompson concluded with a nod to Trump’s infamous “enemies list,” reassuring, “So if you’re keeping some sort of list of your enemies, then we should not be on that list,” while Bowen chimed in with, “If we find out someone here voted for Kamala, we will rat them out so fast.”

The sketch took an even more absurd turn when James Austin Johnson, known for his spot-on Trump impressions, appeared as “Hot Jacked Trump,” showcasing a new, exaggerated look to cap off the satirical bit.