Saturday Night Live wasted no time taking aim at MAGA officials in its latest cold open, with actors portraying Pete Hegseth, Kash Patel, and Brett Kavanaugh in a booze-filled bar scene. Matt Damon joined the cast on May 9 to play Republican Supreme Court Justice Kavanaugh, stepping into a swanky watering hole where the skit unfolded.
The Cold Open Scene
The sketch began with Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth expressing relief at not encountering anyone from the White House. 'None of Trump's people like drinking as much as I do,' Jost remarked. Moments later, Damon's Kavanaugh entered and ordered six Bud Lights and three shots of Jameson, prompting the bartender, played by Kenan Thompson, to quip, 'That's a 6-3 decision.'
Damon's Kavanaugh noted he expected Jost to be there, adding, 'I just saw all the women covering their drinks,' alluding to potential drink spiking. He then expressed a wish for more administration members who could 'hang,' at which point Aziz Ansari's Kash Patel burst in shouting, 'Does this bar take cash?!'
Jabs at Patel and Kavanaugh
SNL quickly swiped at allegations that Patel has his own branded bourbon. Ansari held up a bottle and declared, 'I made my own FBI bourbon with my name on it.' The skit also referenced claims of excessive drinking against Hegseth and Patel, which both have denied. Damon's Kavanaugh revealed a secret: 'We're gonna let Trump do a third term,' to cheers from Jost and Ansari. When Jost noted it was unconstitutional, Damon admitted, 'It was, but Trump found the original constitution and wrote at the end: Sike!'
The scene ended with Thompson announcing last call, triggering a sing-along to Chumbawamba's 'Tubthumping.'
Background on the Officials
Kavanaugh's drinking habits faced scrutiny during his 2018 Senate testimony, with a former classmate alleging he often became 'belligerent and aggressive.' Hegseth, Secretary of War, has also faced allegations of alcohol abuse, which Trump's team called 'completely unfounded and false' in 2024. Patel, FBI director, is currently suing The Atlantic over similar claims, which he vehemently denies.
Mixed Reactions
Viewer responses to the cold open were divided. One critic wrote, 'SNL cold open just isn't funny. They have so much material but they can't do it.' Another countered, 'It is if you're not MAGA.' A third commented, 'SNL is so hit or miss... This is like the 4th or 5th skit I can remember where it's just the celeb spitting their drink on people. Not really funny in the slightest.'
