In a rare sketch appearance, Saturday Night Live star Colin Jost delivered a biting satire of US Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, who is embroiled in controversy over military strikes in Venezuela.
Jost's Aggressive Impersonation Takes Centre Stage
The comedian, best known for his Weekend Update role, portrayed a hyper-aggressive Hegseth during the show's Cold Open segment. The sketch depicted a press conference where the Secretary of War, to the sound of wrestling entrance music, clumsily addressed allegations of war crimes.
Jost's character entered by chugging an energy drink and slamming it to the ground, before immediately insulting a reporter's weight. He then addressed the core scandal: the approval of airstrikes on Venezuelan drug-smuggling boats in September.
"Now listen up, as you've probably read in some gay newspaper, we're now at war with Venezuela," the character bizarrely stated. When pressed on whether he ordered a second strike that killed at least two survivors from the first attack, he retorted, "That kind of cruel, heartless act has no place in Operation Kill Everybody."
Digs at Drinking and Donald Trump's Support
The sketch took aim at multiple controversies surrounding Hegseth. It referenced his alleged past drinking habits while at Fox News, with Jost's character claiming he had to call his sponsor after the first strike. Hegseth has publicly promised to abstain from alcohol as Defence Secretary.
The impersonation also tackled the political fallout. When a reporter, played by Ashley Padilla, mentioned Senator Mark Kelly's criticism that Hegseth acts like a "12-year-old playing army," Jost's character mocked the senator's name before defiantly asking, "If I were just 'playing army' would there be 80 dead fishermen - 'narco terrorists' - in Venezuela right now?"
The skit intensified as Jost's Hegseth defended his relationship with President Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson. He praised Trump as a "high-energy alpha" before the dozing president awoke to join him. Trump's character offered a now-infamous defence, stating, "It was just fog of war, right? Fog of war, it's a thing you only say after doing war crime." This directly referenced Hegseth's real-world explanation for the second strike.
A Divided Reception from Viewers
The segment sparked immediate and polarised reactions online. Many conservatives slammed the sketch, arguing it failed to land as effective satire.
One critic claimed, "The left always misses the mark. SNL thinks they're making fun of Pete Hegseth but they're just making him look cool." Others labelled the show "so bad right now" and criticised Jost's sketch comedy abilities, suggesting he should stick to Weekend Update.
Conversely, supporters praised the writing and performances. One viewer called it "the funniest sketch ever," while another stated, "Colin is brilliant in this," highlighting James Austin Johnson's spot-on impression of Donald Trump.
The real-world scandal continues, with President Trump publicly standing by Hegseth, stating he relies on the Defence Secretary for information and calling the naval officer in charge of the strikes an "extraordinary person."
