“Saturday Night Live” also featured the Artemis II space mission and the Iran war in an NCAA sketch starring Kenan Thompson as Charles Barkley.
‘SNL’ mocks President Trump over rising gas prices during cold weather
“Saturday Night Live” began its latest episode with a cold opening in which Donald Trump discusses Iran and rising gas prices.
“Saturday Night Live” says goodbye to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The show began the April 4 episode with a skit addressing the news that President Donald Trump fired Bondi. But, unusually for SNL, James Austin Johnson’s impression of Trump, which has become a cold open staple, was not featured.
Instead, the postgame show of the NCAA Final Four was depicted, with Charles Barkley, played by Kenan Thompson, going off script several times and providing potentially controversial commentary on various non-basketball topics, including Bondi’s ouster.
“Pam Bondi as attorney general was, I don’t say it often, a terrible person,” said Thompson as Barclay. “It’s a shame to see someone fired, but we should all be glad that the freckled-chested dragon lady is gone.”
Soon after, Bondi, played by Ashley Padilla, came in to retort.
“The truth is, I’ve been great at what I do and I’m proud to say I made history as the first woman to be removed from office as attorney general,” she said. “I broke the glass exit door!”
But Padilla’s Bondi soon broke down in tears, saying she already missed her job and declaring, “They threw my mug shot in the trash like the Epstein files!”
The sketch also briefly references a recent report in the Daily Mail that Brian Noem, husband of former Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, cross-dresses, but USA TODAY has not independently verified it. Barkley, who plays Thompson, said Noem’s husband “looks like he’s on Big Mama’s House 4.” ”
Berkeley’s other takeaway from this sketch is that the Artemis II space mission is a waste of money. “They haven’t even been to the moon! They’re just flying around the moon,” he said. “What’s the point of that? It’s like telling your kids you’re going to Disney World and then taking them back to Goofy Lot D.”
This week’s “SNL” cold open broke with tradition after years of Easter episodes, which began with a skit in which Johnson dressed up as Trump and delivered an Easter message. The episode also came just weeks after the cold open in which Padilla played another fired member of the Trump administration and starred as Noem in the first episode after her ouster.
Jack Black hosted “SNL” with musical guest Jack White. This was the first new episode since March 14th. After the Harry Styles episode, the show went on a short hiatus.
“SNL” is set to return with a new episode next week, with Colman Domingo making his hosting debut with musical guest Anitta. The season ends in May.
Contributor: Kate Perez, USA TODAY
