Saturday Night Live (SNL) used a satirical skit to mark the November election, blending historical references with a sharp jab at President Donald Trump. In the cold open, Broadway star Lin-Manuel Miranda reprised his role as Alexander Hamilton from Hamilton, performing alongside colonial figures wearing wigs. Hamilton, in his signature style, shared his vision of America: “What matters is the nation we build. Because in America, all men are created equal… In America, we will never have a king.”
But Hamilton’s speech was abruptly interrupted by James Austin Johnson’s portrayal of Trump, bringing his signature bravado and larger-than-life persona to the stage. Trump, with a smirk, responded, “Never say never… I’m in my king era,” poking fun at the idea of American democracy without a monarchy.
The satire continued as Trump mocked the push to end diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) roles in the federal government, declaring, “DEI is over, it’s dead,” and absurdly claiming that workplaces should resemble The Office. He then meandered through a commentary on his time in office, including a bizarre recollection of his inauguration, which he described as being “inside due to cold and fear,” with “surprise guests” like Melania Trump and a roll call of billionaires such as Zuckerberg, Bezos, Tim Cook (referred to as “Tim Apple”), and Elon Musk.
The skit took a playful turn when Trump, noticing Miranda frozen in his colonial costume, began mocking his attire, saying, “What a weird way to dress, right? A little zesty.” Trump also jabbed at Miranda’s desire to rap, commenting, “Oh, look at Lin. Look at how bad he wants to do a rap… He doesn’t get to do it.”
Trump then shifted to Miranda’s career, recognizing his impressive EGOT (Emmy, Grammy, and Tony) achievements but humorously suggesting that Miranda’s success was still far from complete, implying, “He’s in sniffing distance of an EGOT, but he has to stand there until I’m done.” This sketch added another layer of humor to SNL’s ongoing political commentary, blending historical figures with modern-day political figures in a way that both entertained and critiqued.