SNL Cold Open Takes Aim at Trump’s Venezuela and Minneapolis Headlines

Saturday Night Live is back on TV with new episodes. The show returned on January 17, and the first episode of the year had a cold open starring James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump.

In the sketch, Trump gave viewers a funny update on everything that happened while the show was off the air. “I hope everyone had a nice holiday and got what they wanted for Christmas,” Johnson said. “I got what I wanted: My very own someone else’s Nobel Prize, which I’ll cherish! And in my stocking I got Maduro. Nicolás Maduro! We did a reverse Santa on him. We came down the chimney with a bag and took him away.”

Colin Jost played Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, angrily talking about the situation in Venezuela. “We went in, straight up stole their president,” he said. He also joked that the United States will target Iran next because “you don’t dare kill your protesters. That’s our thing!”

The sketch also touched on tensions in Minneapolis after Renee Nicole Good was shot by an ICE agent. Ashley Padilla played Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, who joked about her hair and makeup team.

“Before we start, I’d like to give a quick shoutout to my hair and makeup team, who absolutely hate me,” she said. “Now, obviously, there’s been clashes on both sides in Minneapolis, and have we been perfect? Yes.” She added, “Just know, you can always count on me, because my last name is Noem, as in, do I have the situation under control? Noem, I don’t.”

The cold open also included a short joke about Trump reading a note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio and ended with Johnson’s Trump saying, “Also, midterms are canceled!”

Finn Wolfhard hosted the episode, with A$AP Rocky as the musical guest. This episode came a few weeks after Wolfhard’s Netflix show Stranger Things finished its final season. Rocky had also recently released a new album called Don’t Be Dumb.

Before this, Ariana Grande hosted the last episode on December 20, with Cher as the musical guest. That show was also the final episode for longtime cast member Bowen Yang, who said goodbye in a sketch as an airport employee on his last shift.

Wolfhard’s episode started a stretch of three weeks with new SNL shows. Next week, Teyana Taylor will host with the band Geese performing. Taylor recently received a Golden Globe for best supporting actress for her role in One Battle After Another. The following week, Alexander Skarsgård will host for the first time with Cardi B as the musical guest.

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