SNL mocks the GOP, Fox News post-midterms breakup with Donald Trump
With the projected reelection victory of Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.) on Saturday, Democrats will retain (and possibly expand) their majority in the Senate. "I was actually surprised they won, given President Biden's low approval ratings," Colin Jost joked on Saturday Night Live's "Weekend Update." "I guess Biden's kind of like the Jurassic World movies: You know, extremely successful despite a 42 percent rating. Republicans, by the way, are not taking it well."
"Rupert Murdoch this week officially turned on Donald Trump," Jost noted, adding that the New York Post's "Trumpty Dumpty" cover "had to be the easiest photoshop job in history. And now Trump is threatening to reveal unflattering information about Ron DeSantis. For example, did you know Ron DeSantis is in charge of a state where some maniac was hiding stolen nuclear secrets?"
SNL's cold open elaborated on Murdoch's media empire apparently dumping Trump. "Wow, it seems like everybody's turning on Trump!" said Fox & Friends cohost Ainsley Earhardt (Heidi Gardner). "And per a companywide email we got this morning, he's dead to us," added Brian Kilmeade (Bowen Yang), wondering if Trump still watches the program religiously. "Well, he's at his daughter's wedding this weekend, so at least we know he won't call in," said Steve Doocy (Mikey Day).
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Trump (James Austin Johnson), of course, called in from Tiffany Trump's wedding, and was awkwardly informed what transgression he had committed to lose his best media friend.
SNL's Fox & Friends hosts joked in the cold open that there's no way to prove they had regularly predicted that the midterms would be a "red wave" election for Republicans — but that's actually what real Fox News host Sean Hannity said, and The Washington Post did not let that stand.
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Peter has worked as a news and culture writer and editor at The Week since the site's launch in 2008. He covers politics, world affairs, religion and cultural currents. His journalism career began as a copy editor at a financial newswire and has included editorial positions at The New York Times Magazine, Facts on File, and Oregon State University.
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