- A White House spokeswoman issued a scathing dismissal of “Saturday Night Live’s” season premiere cold open.
- The sketch featured James Austin Johnson as President Donald Trump and Colin Jost as Pete Hegseth.
- The spokeswoman claimed she’d “rather watch paint dry” than view the sketch, echoing a sentiment that millions have “tuned out.”
- The parody targeted a recent meeting between Trump, Hegseth, and top U.S. military officials.
White House Fires Back at SNL Premiere
“Saturday Night Live’s” 51st season premiere is already drawing fire, but not from critics—it’s from the White House itself. Following a cold open sketch that parodied President Donald Trump, a spokeswoman delivered a brutally dismissive response that has quickly gone viral.
The sketch, which opened the October 4th episode, featured cast member James Austin Johnson reprising his role as Trump alongside “Weekend Update” anchor Colin Jost, who portrayed Pete Hegseth. The segment poked fun at a recent meeting the two held with hundreds of U.S. military officials.
“Like Watching Paint Dry”
When asked for a reaction, White House spokeswoman Abigail Jackson didn’t mince words. In an email to Entertainment Weekly, she slammed the long-running comedy show’s relevance and viewership.
“Reacting to this would require me to waste my time watching it,” Jackson stated. “And like the millions of Americans who have tuned out from ‘SNL,’ I have more entertaining things to do — like watch paint dry.”
SNL Kicks Off 51st Season
The controversial sketch was part of the season premiere hosted by Bad Bunny, with Doja Cat as the musical guest. The episode marked the beginning of the show’s 51st season, with returning cast members Kenan Thompson, Bowen Yang, and James Austin Johnson, among others. Despite the new season, the White House’s cutting response suggests the show’s political humor is failing to impress its most high-profile targets.
