Donald Trump has revealed he vetoed a number of sketches ahead of his controversial appearance as host of Saturday Night Live, claiming the show's writers 'went a little bit too far'. The Republican presidential frontrunner said he rejected the sketches to preserve his poll ratings ahead of the Iowa caucuses.
Trump hosted the long-running sketch show on Saturday, prompting sizeable protests outside NBC studios in New York. One political action committee offered a $5,000 bounty to any audience member who would heckle the billionaire businessman during the show. Despite a staged heckle from comedian Larry David, no interruptions occurred.
The appearance was poorly received, with muted laughs inside the studio and a general drubbing online. Culture site the AV Club dismissed the show as 'a dreadful, toothless, dead-eyed slog', while Slate described Trump as 'a hall monitor, preventing any good jokes about Trump from being made'.
During his opening monologue, Trump said he was there 'to show I can take a joke'. Sketches included a parody of Drake's Hotline Bling video and a fantasy sequence of his presidency solving all major geopolitical crises. Trump told the writers to 'keep it modest' for the White House sketch.
Trump's appearance drew intense criticism from activists who accuse him of racism for his hardline stance on immigration. NBC had previously severed ties with the Trump-owned Miss Universe franchise following his remarks in June, in which he accused Mexican immigrants of being rapists and bringing crime to the US.
