- Colin Jost’s “Weekend Update” joke comparing Trump officials to Nazis fleeing to Argentina was met with near silence from the SNL audience.
- The awkward moment forced Jost to ad-lib, quipping, “Hey, one clap,” which earned a bigger laugh than the original joke.
- The segment also featured Jost taking jabs at former congressman George Santos’s recent release from prison.
- Co-anchor Michael Che contributed jokes about the NYC mayoral debate and Donald Trump’s controversial TIME Magazine cover.
Awkward Silence on “Weekend Update” as Jost’s Trump Joke Misses the Mark
Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” co-anchor Colin Jost experienced a cringeworthy moment this week when a politically charged joke about former President Donald Trump failed to land, resulting in an awkward silence from the live studio audience.
The Joke That Fell Flat
Jost was discussing Trump’s decision to send $40 billion to bail out Argentina’s economy when he delivered the punchline. “If history is any guide, a lot of Trump officials will end up fleeing to Argentina,” he said, alluding to the historical fact that many Nazi war criminals escaped to the South American nation after World War II.
Instead of the usual wave of laughter, the joke was met with a muted response. The quiet in the room suggested the audience either found the comparison too dark or simply didn’t grasp the historical reference. The palpable awkwardness was broken only by a single, solitary clap.
A Quick Recovery
Never missing a beat, Jost quickly acknowledged the poor reception, leaning into the microphone and shouting out the lone supporter: “Hey, one clap.”
This spontaneous ad-lib proved far more successful, immediately drawing laughter and applause from the audience. Jost, taking the moment in stride, added good-naturedly, “I’m just kidding,” successfully diffusing the tension and moving on with the segment.
Jokes on George Santos and More
The “Weekend Update” segment wasn’t solely focused on one awkward moment. Jost also found success with jokes aimed at George Santos, the disgraced former Republican congressman. Commenting on Santos’s release after serving just three months of a seven-year sentence for fraud, Jost quipped, “George Santos… is now free and will face zero consequences.”
He later used Santos as a punchline for a sports joke, saying, “In the clinching game of the NLCS, Dodger star Shohei Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings, struck out 10 batters, then hit three home runs. It is a feat previously only accomplished by George Santos.”
Michael Che Weighs In
Co-anchor Michael Che also delivered several successful jokes, taking aim at the NYC mayoral race and a recent TIME Magazine cover featuring Donald Trump.
Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che! pic.twitter.com/HDZhlxd1GN
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) October 19, 2025
Commenting on Trump’s complaint that the magazine used the “worst” photo of him “of all time,” Che showed the image and noted Trump’s criticism that “They disappeared my hair.” Che then zoomed in on the former president’s neck fat, remarking, “I got to agree that they do look waxed.”