In the latest “Saturday Night Live” cold open, Ashley Padilla played Kristi Noem, who claims she was not fired as Secretary of Homeland Security by President Trump.
Trump replaces Kristi Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security
President Donald Trump replaced Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem after she was hounded by lawmakers over a $220 million ad campaign.
‘Saturday Night Live’ says goodbye to Kristi Noem.
The show opened the March 7 episode with a skit addressing President Donald Trump’s firing of Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security.
In the sketch, Colin Jost played Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth, who announced during a mock press conference that Noem had been “reassigned under the bus.” Ashley Padilla played the role of Noem, who appeared to say goodbye.
“I just want to make it clear that I wasn’t fired,” she said. “I voluntarily deported, and I may quit this job, but my mission is never over. As I told my plastic surgeon, the job is never over. But I gave my all to DHS. I have no regrets, because as the saying goes, you miss 100% of the dog you don’t shoot.”
On March 5, President Trump announced in a post on Truth Social that Oklahoma Republican Sen. Markwayne Mullin would replace Noem as Secretary of Homeland Security, effective March 31. The move came after lawmakers criticized Nohm on a number of topics, including a $220 million ad campaign that featured him prominently. Noem said she had discussed the campaign with Trump and that Trump had approved it, but Trump told Reuters he “didn’t know anything about it.”
Padilla’s Noem also said it was “bittersweet” having to submit “badges, guns, lips, eyelashes, teeth, foreheads” outside in the cold, adding that her new office is in “a WeWork space outside of Denver.”
The rest of the opening sketch featured Jost as Hegseth being asked questions about U.S. military operations in Iran.
“We are treating Iran like a breathalyzer in my car and blowing it up to the hilt,” he declared.
Joest’s Hegseth later took issue with a reporter who described the conflict as a war, asking, “Has anyone ever called this a war other than maybe the president did it a few times by accident?”
“Project Hail Mary” star Ryan Gosling will host and return to “SNL” for the fourth time with musical guests Gorillaz.
Who will be the next “SNL” host?
“SNL” returns next week with a new episode hosted by Harry Styles. The singer, who just released her new album “Kiss All the Time. Disco, Occasionally,” is also participating as a musical guest.
Ahead of the episode, Styles made a surprise appearance in the audience during Gosling’s monologue, during which the “Barbie” actor playfully acted as if shaken and distracted by the Grammy winner’s presence.
Contributor: Bert Jansen

