White House Dismisses ‘SNL‘ Cold Open Mocking Trump, FCC Commissioner
The White House swiftly dismissed Saturday Night LiveS recent cold open targeting former President Donald Trump and FCC Commissioner brendan Carr as unentertaining, with a spokesperson stating they had “more entertaining things to do – like watch paint dry.” The skit,which aired during the Season 51 premiere,depicted a caricature of Trump threatening action against the show if it dared to portray him negatively.
The exchange underscores a long-running tension between the former management and the late-night comedy program, and highlights the potential for renewed scrutiny of broadcast regulations. The incident arrives amid a significant cast overhaul for SNL and raises questions about the show’s direction as it navigates a politically charged landscape. The threat referenced by the skit-involving the FCC-signals a possible return to tactics previously employed by Trump to leverage government power against perceived media critics.
The cold open featured James Austin Johnson’s impression of Trump interrupting a Colin Jost impression of Pete Hegseth. The Trump character lamented the show’s new cast, noting, “‘SNL’ 51 off to a rough start: 17 new cast members and they got the ‘Update’ guy doing the open.”
The skit escalated with a warning from the Trump impersonator about unleashing “my attack dog at the FCC, Brandon Carr.” Mikey Day then appeared as Carr,dancing to Rockwell’s “Somebody’s Watching me” and correcting the Trump character on his name pronunciation (“It’s actually Brendan,sir”). Trump’s response was dismissive: “It’s crazy you think I care. Bye!” concluding with the ominous line, “Remember: Daddy’s watching.”
Johnson has been SNL’s primary Trump impersonator since joining the cast in 2021. The full cold open is available for viewing here.
