Trump has late-night shows in his crosshairs. ‘SNL’ has long been a target of his ire

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Over the years, President Trump has often spoken about Saturday Night Live. Most of what he’s said hasn’t been positive, showing he doesn’t like the show, even though he hosted it a few times in the past.

The president first hosted the show in 2004 and again in 2015, soon after he announced he was running for president. Having him host “SNL” in 2015 caused some disagreement, but NBC executives supported the decision, pointing to his leading position within the Republican party and the strong viewership it generated. Robert Greenblatt, then-NBC Entertainment Chairman, explained during a 2016 Television Critics Assn. event, “In the end, he was on the show for 11 minutes and… nothing catastrophic happened.” He later described Trump as “toxic” and “demented.”

Donald Trump has consistently criticized “Saturday Night Live,” claiming it’s not funny, lacks skilled performers, and has become essentially a promotional tool for the Democratic party. He’s made similar comments about late-night hosts Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel, whose shows are well-known for satirizing him. As Season 51 of “Saturday Night Live” begins this Saturday, and following recent settlements with media and tech companies – including a $25 million settlement with YouTube on Monday regarding his account suspension – the show’s portrayal of the president and his policies will likely receive increased attention.

CBS canceled Colbert’s show in July, and it will finish its 10-year run next May. CBS stated that money was the reason for ending the show, but the host had publicly criticized both Trump and CBS’s parent company, Paramount. Paramount had recently reached a legal settlement with Trump shortly before the Federal Communications Commission gave the go-ahead for its merger with Skydance Media (Colbert referred to the settlement as “a big fat bribe”).

Television

On Tuesday, Jimmy Kimmel and Stephen Colbert each appeared as a guest on the other’s talk show. Here’s a look at some of the most memorable moments from their interviews.

ABC temporarily removed Jimmy Kimmel from his show in September after the head of the Federal Communications Commission-appointed by Donald Trump-warned the network about comments Kimmel made regarding the person suspected in the shooting involving Charlie Kirk. Kimmel has since resumed hosting and used his return to speak out in favor of free speech. Both Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel were guests on each other’s shows on Tuesday, where they showed support for one another and made jokes about Donald Trump. Trump has also demanded that NBC cancel its late-night hosts, Seth Meyers and Jimmy Fallon, who are both former cast members of “SNL”.

Currently, Saturday Night Live might face increased attention from the current administration. President Trump has used social media to express his dissatisfaction with the show’s parodies of him and his team, and has even hinted at the possibility of an investigation into NBC as a consequence.

In February 2019, during his first term, President Trump tweeted, “Nothing funny about tired Saturday Night Live on Fake News NBC!” He then questioned, “How do the Networks get away with these total Republican hit jobs without retribution? Likewise for many other shows? Very unfair and should be looked into.” He concluded with, “This is the real Collusion!”

Throughout his career, Trump has often clashed with the network that previously broadcasted The Apprentice, the show that launched his career in reality television, as well as his Miss Universe pageant. Back in 2015, NBC ended its business relationship with Trump because of statements he made regarding Mexican immigrants who were not legally documented.

Voices

Commentary: Is Trump targeting broadcast TV because he was fired by NBC?

Looking at it one way, Trump is definitely trying to suppress democracy as we understand it. However, another perspective is that this is a resentful president punishing an industry that was crucial to his rise to power, and which is already facing significant challenges.

Saturday Night Live, which marked its 50th anniversary with several special episodes earlier in the year, has been creating funny imitations of politics for many years. The show’s humor has poked fun at leaders from all sides of the political spectrum.

Phil Hartman, who was a cast member at the time, first impersonated Trump on “SNL” back in 1988. Since then, many different actors and cast members have played Trump on the show. One of the most well-known impersonations was by Alec Baldwin, who began the role in 2016 before the presidential election, taking over from Darrell Hammond.

Trump wasn’t a fan of Baldwin’s impression of him, and in 2018 stated that Baldwin’s “struggling career was given a boost by his poor impersonation.” Baldwin actually received an Emmy Award in 2017 for his portrayal of the president as a supporting actor.

As a critic, I have to say Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of Donald Trump on “30 Rock”’s “SNL” stint was truly something else. He continued to nail the impression all the way through 2020, even managing to do it when the show had to film remotely at the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Honestly, some of his most iconic moments came during those cold opens where he brilliantly parodied the debates between Trump and Hillary Clinton. It was comedy gold!

In March 2019, Trump complained that Saturday Night Live (“SNL”) repeatedly targeted him-“knocking the same person (me), over & over”-and didn’t give much attention to opposing viewpoints. Interestingly, the episode that aired around the time he tweeted this was actually a repeat broadcast. He described it as “like an advertisement without consequences.”

The Daily Beast reports that Donald Trump went further than just complaining on Twitter. In early 2019, he allegedly asked his advisors and lawyers to explore what the FCC, the courts, and the Department of Justice could do to investigate Saturday Night Live and other late-night comedians who had made fun of him. However, according to the outlet, this request didn’t lead to any official action. Essentially, he was exploring options for potential legal or regulatory pressure.

Back in 2022, Trump claimed the show had “HUUUGE!” ratings when he was the host, but noted they’ve decreased since then. The latest season of “SNL” actually performed very well, becoming the most-watched in three years – averaging over 8 million viewers per episode.

Television

NBC and “Saturday Night Live” announced on Wednesday that they’re bringing in a new, but well-known, performer to portray Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump in the show’s upcoming 42nd season, which starts this Saturday.

He continued by stating that creator and executive producer Lorne Michaels is “angry and exhausted, and the show is even more so.” He added that while it was once decent, it was never truly exceptional, but now, much like other late-night shows that have seen their viewership decline without understanding the reason, it’s finished for SNL – which he considers a positive development for the country!

Michaels, who doesn’t often speak to the press, shared his thoughts on the ending of Colbert’s show and its impact on late-night TV in an August interview with Puck News. He admitted he was “stunned” by CBS’ decision to cancel “The Late Show,” but also stated, “I don’t think any of us will ever truly know” whether politics played a role in the choice.

Michaels continued, stating that no matter what illegal acts Trump is undertaking, he’s doing them openly and publicly. He asserted that there are no hidden actions that his supporters – or even Michaels himself – are unaware of. He further described Trump as a “really powerful media figure” who possesses a talent for captivating an audience.

“His politics are obviously not my politics, but denouncing [him] doesn’t work,” he added.

As a longtime Saturday Night Live fan, I’ve seen countless cold opens and “Weekend Update” segments take aim at the president, usually making him the target of the jokes. But the cold open in the episode right after the 2024 election was something else entirely. Just days before the election, then-Vice President Kamala Harris had actually appeared on the show. However, after Trump won, the cast did a complete 180, claiming they’d “been with [him] all along,” and even insisted they’d all voted for and supported him. It was a really unexpected turn!

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They stated, “If you’re maintaining a list of people you dislike, we hope we’re not included on it,” before unveiling their latest impersonation: “Hot jacked Trump.” This new take on the former president featured impressionist James Austin Johnson sporting a muscle tee and a headband.

Alec Baldwin first started playing the president on the show in 2021, and Lorne Michaels confirmed he’ll be back for Season 51. His performance closely copies Donald Trump’s way of speaking and his habit of going off on related topics, especially about celebrities. Ever since Trump took office in January, the show’s opening skits have largely focused on Trump, specifically his connection with Elon Musk and his actions as president.

Television

Throughout the show – from the initial cold open, a parody of ‘The White Lotus,’ and even during ‘Weekend Update’ – the trade war involving Trump was a key topic, as highlighted in the episode hosted by Jon Hamm.

The “Weekend Update” segment, presented by Colin Jost and Michael Che, generally offers more critical commentary on the president’s actions and statements, and also on other people working in the administration.

During an interview with Puck, Michaels suggested Saturday Night Live wouldn’t be changing its approach. When questioned about whether doing political comedy would be more difficult now, Michaels responded with a firm no.

He stated, “I don’t believe anyone is aware of Michael Che’s political views,” but added, “people generally find him humorous.”

Brendan Carr, the chairman of the FCC and a figure in the recent controversy involving Kimmel’s suspension, stated in 2020 that political satire represents one of the “oldest and most important forms of free speech.”

From online memes to late-night comedy, from cartoons to plays and poems dating back to the earliest governments-Political Satire bypasses traditional media controls and helps keep those in power answerable,” he explained. “It’s therefore no surprise that it has often been a target for censorship.”

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2025-10-02 13:35