Saturday Night Live kicked off its 51st season finale with a cold open filled with dark humor as host Will Ferrell played the ghost of disgraced pedophile Jeffrey Epstein, returning to haunt Donald Trump. The skit began with cast member James Austin Johnson portraying the president in the Oval Office, drifting off to sleep. Ferrell then appeared with grey hair and shackles, as the convicted sex offender, to pay his 'best friend a visit.'
Trump and Epstein's Ghost Exchange Dark Jokes
Johnson's Trump was gleefully surprised to see Ferrell as Epstein's ghost, but informed him that his approval rating had dropped to the 30s. '30s? Gross - call me when it hits 17,' Epstein replied, drawing laughter. When Trump asked about heaven, Epstein quipped, 'It's really, really hot.' Trump then mentioned his summer plans, including the World Cup, Patriot Games, and a UFC fight on the White House lawn, likening himself to 'white trash on Worldstar.' The president asked for a high five, but Epstein declined, referencing his suicide in jail: 'This time, I'm going to leave you hanging.'
Visions of the Trump Administration
Epstein's ghost revealed visions of the future, featuring Kristi Noem as a Home Shopping Network presenter, Pete Hegseth smoking marijuana on a podcast with FBI Director Kash Patel, and a line referencing Daily Mail's exclusive on Noem's husband cross-dressing. Colin Jost portrayed Hegseth as a drunken frat boy alongside Aziz Ansari's incompetent Patel, promoting 'hard water' product 'Poland Sprung.' Epstein's final vision showed the US coming second after the war in Iran.
Ferrell then delivered a blistering message to Trump: 'No matter how many wars you start, or how bad you tank the economy as a distraction, people will always associate you with me.' The two ended with a duet of Bill Withers' 'Just the Two of Us.'
Mixed Reactions from Viewers
The skit left viewers divided. Some found humor in the dark opening, while others deemed it insensitive to Epstein's victims. MAGA supporters slammed the show for portraying Trump's relationship with the pedophile. Comments ranged from 'Nothing funny about Epstein ever' to praise for the 'laugh out loud moment' of the singing duet. Trump and Epstein had a reportedly close friendship in the 90s and early 2000s, with Trump appearing thousands of times in DOJ files related to Epstein's sex crimes.
