Saturday Night Live has ignited a firestorm of criticism from Donald Trump's supporters following a controversial sketch that mocked the former president's response to being named in the recently released Jeffrey Epstein documents.
Conservative Backlash Erupts Online
The comedy programme's cold open segment, which aired on Saturday night, depicted Trump inadvertently admitting to a damaging relationship with the disgraced sex trafficker during a press conference scenario. The satirical portrayal prompted immediate outrage among conservative commentators and Trump loyalists across social media platforms.
One X user expressed their disgust by writing 'You people are sick!' while another declared 'Hope [Trump] sues the hell out of them.' The criticism wasn't limited to the sketch's content, with one detractor calling the show 'predictable and boring,' adding 'SNL makes fun of Trump. Water is wet.'
Inside the Controversial Sketch
The five-minute segment featured James Austin Johnson portraying Donald Trump in what was presented as a chaotic press conference addressing questions about the Epstein emails released last Wednesday. The sketch depicted Trump making several what the show presented as Freudian slips while attempting to defend himself.
When asked by a reporter character played by Kenan Thompson why he was reluctant to release the Epstein files despite his supporters demanding transparency, Johnson's Trump responded: 'I am hiding almost nothing, just enough to make it extremely suspicious.'
The exchange took a more controversial turn when Trump's character asked: 'if there was something incriminating about me in the files, then why would I cover them up?' prompting Thompson's baffled reporter to retort: 'Isn't that exactly why you would cover them up?'
The sketch continued with Trump's impersonator making references to 'thousands of pictures of us together dancing and grinding our teeth at various parties' and attempting to identify with terms from the gay community when responding to an email where Epstein described Trump as 'the dog that hasn't barked.'
Broader Political Reactions
Many critics took issue not only with the portrayal of Trump but also with what they perceived as the show's failure to target prominent Democrats connected to Epstein. The sketch included jokes about Trump's relationships with Vladimir Putin and Benjamin Netanyahu, along with a reference to pardoning 'a turkey that was a sex criminal.'
One X user commented 'Keep it coming baby and the Clintons and half of Hollywood will be in jail in no time,' while another claimed 'Emails from Epstein are not evidence, he had a vengeance with Trump, just another Democratic hoax!?'
The controversy highlights the ongoing political divisions in American politics and the continued sensitivity surrounding the Epstein case, particularly as new documents continue to be released and scrutinised by both media and political commentators.
