During Friday's 'Weekend Update' segment, comedian Michael Che targeted President Trump's visit earlier this week to the John F. Kennedy Center in Washington, where he attended the opening-night showing of Chicago. According to Daily Mail - Home, Michael Che described the president going to the theater and asked 'what's the worst that can happen?'—an unmistakable nod to the assassination of Abraham Lincoln at Ford's Theatre. The live audience in New York City erupted in laughter at Che's reference to the 16th U.S. president, but online outrage was immediate, with critics accusing the show of 'advocating political violence.' The internet reaction intensified as viewers caught that Che's joke hinted that Trump—who has reportedly been subject to two assassination attempts on American soil—could face similar danger, though the specific details or timeline of those attempts remain unclear.
The cold open brutally mocked the Trump administration's handling of war with Iran, with star Colin Jost reprising his impression of Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth as an amped-up frat boy. The sketch began with Hegseth performing a keg stand—a 'Hegstand' as he bragged from the podium—then chiding a reporter for labeling the U.S. conflict with Iran as a war. According to The Independent - Main, Colin Jost described the situation as 'a situationship,' using slang for an ambiguous relationship. Jost continued to roast the White House strategy, claiming the ambiguity around the mission—whether it concerns regime change, stopping state-sponsored terror, or preempting a strike on the U.S.—is all part of a secret Trump administration strategy. According to The Independent - Main, Colin Jost further explained that 'if we don't know what we're doing, then Iran definitely doesn't know what we're doing,' adding 'you're all playing chess—I'm playing Grand Theft Auto,' a nod to the administration's use of footage from the violent video game in recent Iran-related promotional videos.
President Trump attended the opening night of Chicago at the Kennedy Center and I think that's cool. The president is going to the theater...I mean, what's the worst that can happen?
In the cold open, Hegseth then ceded the stage to recently-fired DHS Secretary Kristi Noem, played by Ashley Padilla, who Hegseth said had been reassigned to a new role, 'under the bus.' According to The Independent - Main, Ashley Padilla described her departure by saying 'I didn't get fired. I self-deported.' She then joked about controversies that helped bring the real Noem down, including an aggressive immigration operation in Minneapolis, allegations she was having an affair with her adviser Corey Lewandowski, and that DHS spent government funds on luxury jets for top staff. According to The Independent - Main, Ashley Padilla quipped about 'nailing my married coworker in a big, beautiful flying bedroom 30,000 feet over Minneapolis.' The sketch also mocked Noem's new post serving as a special envoy to the Trump administration's 'Shield of the Americas' initiative, with Padilla adding, according to The Independent - Main, that 'as I told my plastic surgeon, the work is never done.'
SNL took the opportunity of their weekly comedy sketch to poke fun at U.S. President Donald Trump as they issued cheeky remarks about the U.S. and Iran's discussions regarding a potential deal to end the war. Paddy Young kicked off the show with a quip about Trump and Iran issuing different communications relating to a potential deal to end the conflict. According to Daily Express - Showbiz, Paddy Young described Trump insisting that Iran wants a deal badly, while an Iranian military spokesperson reportedly said their position remains that 'someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you,' prompting Young to joke 'just kiss already!' The exact nature and current status of the U.S.-Iran conflict being mocked, along with the full context and accuracy of the Iranian spokesperson's quote, remain uncertain.
This isn't a war, OK? It's a situationship.
SNL has played a significant role for Trump recently after the U.S. President used a skit as an opportunity to poke fun at Keir Starmer, sharing a clip of Starmer being mocked onto his Truth Social platform last week. In the clip, Starmer, played by George Fouracres, panicked as he attempted to dodge a call from Trump. According to Daily Express - Showbiz, George Fouracres described Starmer asking 'what if Donald shouts at me? What do I say Lammy?' In the clip, he picks up the phone and hangs up again, with Fouracres adding, according to Daily Express - Showbiz, 'oh sod that scary, scary, wonderful President. Why is he so bloody difficult to talk to?' Trump opted to share the clip online without adding any commentary, and the post comes after a number of dramatic digs between the two as their relationship has reportedly strained since the outbreak of war in Iran.
Reactions to the episode have focused heavily on the controversy surrounding Michael Che's joke, with widespread online criticism accusing SNL of crossing a line. Whether Saturday Night Live or NBC has issued any official response to the criticism, or whether Trump or his administration has directly commented on the sketches, remains unknown at this time. The episode highlights SNL's continued engagement with political figures amid ongoing tensions, blending humor with pointed commentary that frequently draws both laughter and backlash.
If we don't know what we're doing, then Iran definitely doesn't know what we're doing. You're all playing chess — I'm playing Grand Theft Auto.
I didn't get fired. I self-deported.
I think I really nailed it, and by it, I mean my married coworker in a big, beautiful flying bedroom 30,000 feet over Minneapolis.
As I told my plastic surgeon, the work is never done.
While Trump has been insisting that Iran wants a deal so badly, an Iranian military spokesperson has said, quote, 'Our first and last word from the very first day has been, is and will remain: Someone like us will never come to terms with someone like you. Not now and not ever.' Oh my God, just kiss already!
Oh golly -- what if Donald shouts at me? What do I say Lammy?
Oh sod that scary, scary, wonderful President. Why is he so bloody difficult to talk to?