Alec Baldwin and SNL Take Shot at Trump and Fox & Friends
Amagansett’s Alec Baldwin donned his Donald Trump makeup and returned to the Saturday Night Live stage for a biting new cold open over the weekend.
In this week’s sketch, Baldwin and SNL put Fox News’ sycophantic morning show Fox & Friends in the crosshairs, shining a light on how the program has increasingly tailored their content to appease one very powerful viewer. They also offered a nod toward allegations about the President’s unpresidential habits, as described in Michael Wolff‘s bombshell book Fire and Fury.
As many are aware, President Trump has been quite vocal about his love for Fox & Friends, a breezy far-from-hard-hitting show that also seems to be a major source for how he gets his news and, perhaps, even his opinions on important issues affecting the United States and the world. The show’s hosts Steve Doocy, Ainsley Earhardt and Brian Kilmeade regularly speak directly to Trump with obsequious zeal during their live morning broadcasts.
Kicking off the sketch, Alex Moffat as Doocy, Heidi Gardner as Earhardt and Beck Bennett as Kilmeade greet their fans. Earhardt says, “We want to say a big hello to all our fans out there, whether you’re fixing your breakfast or getting dressed for work, or laying in the Lincoln bedroom tweeting with an Egg McMuffin on your chest—hello!” Kilmeade quickly adds, “Yes you,” pointing to the camera and, by extension, President Trump.
Doocy chimes in, “Coming up, we’ll show you more from our trip to Washington D.C. where we stood on different balconies and pointed out Trump hotels.” They go on to reference the Devin Nunes memo and launch into an interview with White House Communications Director Hope Hicks, played by Cecily Strong, who reveals that Fox & Friends is on in the White House “playing at full volume during every meeting.”
As Kilmeade, Bennett points out the absurdity of Hicks’ experience vs her job in the Trump Administration: “This is so exciting. Two years ago you were a 26-year-old former model working for Ivanka Trump’s clothing line, but now you’re White House Communications Director!”
As Hicks, Strong replies, “Sure, if you say so. There are no real jobs here, you know? Every day feels like when a group of strangers suddenly work together to push a beached whale back into the sea.”
After a brief appearance by Louis Farrakhan (played by Chris Redd) to discuss what Kilmeade calls “deep state stuff” and the FBI conspiracy, Baldwin’s Trump calls in with his own thoughts on the matter. He’s shown laying in bed in pajamas holding a cellphone in one hand and an Egg McMuffin from McDonald’s in the other.
“…right now I’m getting my daily intelligence briefing,” the President says, adding, “…from you guys.” He goes on to brag about his State of the Union address “which was watched by 10 billion people.” Baldwin’s Trump also says his speech was “better than Martin Luther King’s I Dream of Genie speech.”
Ever the bootlicker, Moffat’s Doocy agrees Trump is better than Washington and Lincoln or even Caesar.
They then all pronounce Trump “the most innocent guy in the world” before the weekly “Live from New York” shoutout concludes the bit.