SNL’s 2026 premiere went all out, roasting the White House with over-the-top comedy. From Trump’s fake Nobel Prize to Noem’s ICE checklist and Hegseth’s kettlebell antics, nothing was safe.
Image Source: SNL
The new year kicked off with a bang on ‘Saturday Night Live’, as the first episode of 2026 served up a no-holds-barred roast of the White House. And yes, nothing was safe. Not even Trump’s Christmas list or the US raids abroad.
James Austin Johnson, the show’s resident Donald Trump impersonator, opened with a mock brag about his holiday treasures. “I got exactly what I wanted,” Johnson’s Trump declared, holding up a framed Nobel Prize with his name scrawled over the original.
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The gag referenced Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado handing her award to Trump, a move seen as trying to win favour amid US pressure on the oil-rich nation.
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Johnson didn’t stop there. He joked about Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro being delivered in his Christmas stocking.
“We came down the chimney with a bag and took him away,” he said, alluding to Maduro’s January 3 capture and current custody in the US on drug charges.
The sketch quickly moved into horror-comedy territory as Johnson introduced a “little cabinet of curiosities,” a bizarre mashup of White House officials described as “monsters and nightmares from the twisted mind of Guillermo del Trump”.
Ashley Padilla portrayed Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, complete with cowboy hat and full glam. She tackled the Minnesota immigration surge in absurd fashion, declaring, “There’s been clashes on both sides. And have we been perfect? Yes.”
The line humorously ignored real controversies, including the Jan 7 killing of a woman by an ICE agent and multiple reports of excessive force.
Padilla’s Noem then ran through a ridiculous “ICE checklist”: “Is your neck wider than your head? Wearing a Punisher T-shirt? Ever punched a hole in the wall because your kid took a dance class?” she asked. “If yes, grab a gun and saddle up, big boy.”
The crowd roared at the over-the-top satire.
Next up was Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, played by a raucous Colin Jost. Clutching a tub of creatine, Jost’s Hegseth summed up US military moves in style only SNL could get away with. “We went into Venezuela and como se dice? We tea-bagged their country.”
The sketch didn’t shy away from dark humour, referencing global military actions. “We’ve been rockin’ out with our C’s out all over the world,” Jost added. “Next, we’re gonna sack-tap Iran.” He then delivered a hilarious nod to real-life viral clips, swinging a kettlebell with exaggerated hip thrusts while warning, “So just remember, you ‘F’ with America, we’re gonna ‘F’ you right back.”
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