- The Trump administration responded dismissively to the season premiere cold open of “Saturday Night Live.”
- The skit featured James Austin Johnson’s parody of Donald Trump threatening the show with FCC action.
- A White House spokeswoman claimed watching the show was a waste of time, like “watching paint dry.”
- The parody Trump character called late-night television the “greatest threat to freedom and democracy.”
White House Clashes with ‘SNL’
The long-standing feud between the Trump administration and “Saturday Night Live” reignited after the show’s season premiere. The White House issued a sharp, dismissive comeback to the episode’s cold open, which featured a blistering parody of the former president.
In a statement to Entertainment Weekly, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson belittled the legendary sketch show. “Reacting to this would require me to waste my time watching it,” Jackson said. “And like the millions of Americans who have tuned out from ‘SNL,’ I have more entertaining things to do — like watch paint dry.”
The Skit That Sparked the Fury
The segment that drew the administration’s ire featured cast member James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump, who declared that he was closely monitoring the show. The fake Trump warned that “SNL” better be on its “best behavior,” or it would have to answer to his “attack dog” at the FCC.
The parody began with the character breaking into a mock news segment to identify what he believed was the real threat to the nation.
“The country is facing the greatest threat to freedom and democracy the world has ever known, and we all know what that threat is… Late-night TV,” Johnson’s Trump declared.
He ended the sketch with a chillingly comedic warning to the cast and crew, stating, “And remember, Daddy’s watching.” The exchange marks the latest chapter in the ongoing public battle between the political figure and the comedy institution.
Image Referance: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/white-house-snl-james-austin-johnson_n_68e38733e4b003ca997c8af9
