Saturday Night Live returned for its 51st season on Saturday night, hosted by Bad Bunny, but the show drew widespread criticism from viewers who deemed the political sketches unfunny and lackluster. The cold open featured James Austin Johnson reprising his role as Donald Trump, taking aim at the former president's crackdown on television and referencing a controversial letter to Jeffrey Epstein.
Colin Jost appeared as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, parodying a recent viral speech to military officials. Jost's portrayal depicted Hegseth as a drunken frat commander, joking about military culture with lines such as: 'Our military will now have the same rules as any good frat party. No fat chicks, and if you're a fat dude, god damn it, you better be funny as hell!' Johnson interrupted as Trump, claiming he was there to 'keep an eye on SNL' amid FCC pressure over comments by Jimmy Kimmel.
Viewers took to social media to express disappointment. One user wrote: 'Well SNL starts out with a big swing and miss on their cold open. I get they don't like Trump but I didn't know they also don't like jokes.' Another added: 'Wow, they really showed him. SNL used to be funny.' A third commented: 'Although I enjoy anyone who makes fun of Trump, but this was brutal! No one was laughing, it was bad. I'm afraid SNL is at its lowest point, maybe time to say goodbye.'
The cold open also included a joke about a mysterious bruise on Trump's hand, with Johnson showing a makeup-caked hand and saying: 'Not looking great right now. Gonna cover this up for the rest of my life.' The show also mocked comedians who participated in the Saudi-backed Riyadh Comedy Festival. During Weekend Update, Jost and Michael Che referenced peace talks between Israel and Hamas, with Che joking that 'you could tell Trump wrote the plan himself' before showing a photo of a poem allegedly written to Jeffrey Epstein.
