Video grab from ‘Saturday Night Live’ You Tube video
“Saturday Night Live” (SNL) took a satirical swing at US President Donald Trump’s recent meeting with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in a skit featuring James Austin Johnson as Trump, Bowen Yang as Vice President JD Vance, and Mikey Day as Zelenskyy.
The show, which returned with its first new episode since the “SNL50” special, also featured an unexpected appearance by Mike Myers as Elon Musk, marking his first regular episode cameo since 2015.
The sketch mocked the reported tensions between Trump and Zelenskyy, portraying their White House press conference as a chaotic exchange. The scene opened with a voice-over introducing the event: “Yesterday, President Trump hosted Ukrainian President Zelenskyy at the White House, and it went really, really well. Everyone who watched felt at ease and thought the world is now a safer place.”
Johnson’s Trump quipped, “It is I, president and CEO of Gaza Hotel and Casino, Donald Trump, and I’d like to welcome President Zelenskyy here to this incredible trap. It’s going to be a big, beautiful trap, and we’re going to attack him very soon for no reason, right?”
Bowen Yang’s Vance jumped in, berating Zelenskyy for not expressing enough gratitude: “I could jump in here, because that’s how we planned this. What happened to ‘thank you’? Remember ‘thank you’? You haven’t said ‘thank you’ to us once the past 15 seconds I’ve been yelling at you! You didn’t say it now, but you didn’t say it now. When you walked in here, you didn’t say thank you.”
The sketch then introduced Myers as Elon Musk, who arrived wearing jeans and a T-shirt, prompting Trump to shift his stance on dress code. “We love your outfit. Very official and respectful,” Johnson’s Trump said, contradicting his earlier criticism of Zelenskyy’s casual attire.
Myers’ Musk joked, “Thanks, Donald, what are you doing in my office? You know, I’m the president now, right? I’m kidding. I’m kidding. Maybe not?” The skit continued with Musk discussing mass firings and government cutbacks, referencing a controversial restructuring plan.
The segment also touched on the recent release of the “Epstein Files,” with Trump’s character saying, “And to cap off an amazing week, we’re going to finally release the Epstein Files. Yes, America is going to see all the names, from A to S. No T.”
The parody followed reports of a heated real-life encounter between Trump, Vance, and Zelenskyy at the White House, during which Trump and Vance allegedly repeated Russian talking points and pressed Ukraine to make concessions. The actual meeting reportedly devolved into a tense argument over U.S. aid to Ukraine.
Shane Gillis hosted this week’s episode, marking his second time leading SNL since his initial controversy-laden departure from the show in 2019. Musical guest Tate McRae also made her second appearance on the show. Looking ahead, pop icon Lady Gaga is set to double as host and musical guest next week.
This marked the first new episode since “SNL50: The Anniversary Special,” which aired on February 16 and drew 14.8 million live viewers, significantly surpassing the show’s season average of 4.9 million. The show’s return continued the momentum generated by its milestone celebration.
