'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Saturday Night Live season 50 aired a brand new episode this week on Saturday, May 3, 2025, which saw Abbott Elementary star Quinta Brunson return to the show as host while Benson Boone appeared as a musical guest.
The first act of the night was another Donald Trump-focused cold open skit, during which James Austin Johnson played the role of the president while Mikey Day played Stephen Miller, the White House deputy chief of staff.
While fans online praised Johnson's impersonation of the president, they noted that they were tired of the show's opening act being focused on the country's president. One person wrote on X:
"Tired of Trump openings on #SNL, even if they can be humorous."
Trending
"I absolutely hated Trump ,but I'm getting real tired of these Trump focused #SNL cold opens ,not only are they not funny but they just continue to point out how broken the US is, I mean what's the point in that in the cold open when we have weekend update," a fan commented.
"please stop doing Trump cold opens… boring and not funny anymore," a tweet read.
Some fans of Saturday Night Live season 50 praised James Austin Johnson's impersonation of Donald Trump:
"Well done James Austin Johnson. Your Trump is astounding. You got the hand gestures down. Low. Hourglass. I wanted the Cold Open to go on and on. Very funny," a person wrote.
"James Austin Johnson's Trump impression on #SNL is absurdly good," a fan commented.
"Omg out of all the comics, this is by far the funniest Trump impersonation IMO," a tweet read.
Fans of Saturday Night Live season 50 further said:
"Went darker with Trump in tonight's open. About time," a person wrote.
"gave its Trump SLIGHTLY better makeup tonight, but the area around his eyes needs to be more pale," a fan commented.
James Austin Johnson plays Donald Trump in Saturday Night Live's latest Cold Open skit
In Saturday Night Live season 50's latest episode, which aired on May 3, 2025, James Austin Johnson played the role of the president of the United States of America, Donald Trump. The cast member was joined by Mikey Day, who played White House deputy chief of staff Stephen Miller, as the skit took place in the White House.
The skit started with a short message, after which James introduced himself as everyone's favorite president and maybe even the "next pope." He joked that it had been 100 years since he became the president.
"Excuse me. Days. Wow. Feels longer," he added.
The Saturday Night Live season 50 actor added that he had signed 147 executive orders, including banning paper straws to defunding the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). He further joked that he believed Elmo had been apprehended by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE). James added that Elmo wasn't coming back and said that they had a few executive orders.
He welcomed the "Lord of the Shadows," Stephen Miller, played by Mikey Day, to the stage. He poked fun at the way Mikey spoke, comparing him to the Star Wars character, Kylo Ren.
Mikey Day presented him with the first executive order, which was to bring back Columbus Day. SNL star James said that it was an important order and they had to protect Columbus Day for their great Italian American friends like Tony Soprano, Benny Blanco, and Childish Gambino.
The skit saw several other executive orders that the two passed as they played Trump and Miller, and fans shared their honest thoughts online. While some praised the skit and James' portrayal of the president, others noted they were tired of the Trump-centric skits on Saturday Night Live.
Fans can stream the latest episode on Peacock.
