‘SNL’ Weekend Update Takes on Trump’s Big Speech, Quick Tariff Reversal
Saturday Night Live‘s Weekend Update addressed Donald Trump’s speech to a joint session of Congress this week, his sudden eversal on tariffs he had imposed on Canada and Mexico, and the failed test flight by Elon Musk’s SpaceX.
“President Trump addressed a joint session of Congress and claimed that no president has changed government faster than him,” Michael Che began. “Yeah, and nobody changed airport security faster than bin Laden.”
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Che joked about one of Trump’s executive orders that bars transgender athletes from participating in women’s sports.
“But if men aren’t allowed to play women’s sports,” he wondered, “explain soccer.”
Later, Che turned to how Trump backtracked on tariffs just two days after he put them in place, amid concerns among consumers and investors.
“It’s a cunning political tactic experts call ‘bipolar disorder,'” he joked.
“President Trump said the tariff on goods from Canada is to stop the flow of fentanyl, even though last year only 40 pounds of the drug was seized at the northern border. 40 pounds, what’s that, like two butt-fulls?”
Co-anchor Colin Jost, noting how some experts have said new car costs could rise by up to $12,000, suggested an alternative: “a free Tesla, since people are throwing them away.”
Speaking of the Tesla CEO, Jost said Elon Musk’s choice of attire at this week’s cabinet meeting–a suit, rather than a t-shirt under a jacket–“is a refreshing reminder that bullying still works.”
Che made another dig at Musk over a recent failed SpaceX rocket launch.
“On Thursday, Elon Musk’s SpaceX starship exploded just minutes into its mission, which is how he ended up with all those kids,” he joked, in light of how the existence of Musk’s 14th known child was announced late last month.
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