“Saturday Night Live” launched its 2025 season with a scathing parody of MSNBC, delivering a ruthless critique of the network’s Trump-obsessed coverage through a masterfully crafted cold open that left no anchor unscathed.
The sketch, which opened SNL’s first episode of 2025 with host Dave Chappelle and musical guest GloRilla, targeted MSNBC’s perceived hysteria surrounding President Donald Trump’s second-term inauguration.
Cast member Sarah Sherman anchored the segment with an uncanny portrayal of Rachel Maddow, complete with the host’s signature close-cropped hairstyle and thick-rimmed glasses. Sherman’s Maddow set the tone immediately, warning fathers watching to “better hide their older, bookish-looking lesbian daughters” before introducing the panel, which she called “basically like ‘The Avengers’ for your aunt.”
The assembled panel showcased SNL’s talent for pointed impersonations: Ego Nwodim as Joy Reid, Andrew Dismukes as Chris Hayes, and additional cast members embodying Ari Melber and Stephanie Ruhle. Each portrayal emphasized the hosts’ distinguishing characteristics – Melber’s penchant for hip-hop references, Ruhle’s flirtatious delivery, and Hayes’ professorial demeanor.
The sketch’s satirical bite sharpened when Nwodim’s Reid announced with mock solemnity, “This time around, we’re not gonna get sucked in by every new shiny, crazy statement from Trump. We need to focus on what he does, not what he says.” The declaration was immediately undermined by a cascade of breaking news alerts about outlandish Trump statements.
These fictional bulletins included Trump’s proposal to “trade Connecticut for Italy” and his statement to Los Angeles wildfire victims that “Arnold Palmer had some of the longest balls in American history” – each interruption highlighting MSNBC’s tendency to prioritize sensational statements over substantive coverage.
The parody reached new heights with James Austin Johnson’s appearance as Trump addressing the TikTok ban. “Yes, we love TikTok, don’t we? We love TikTok. We used to hate it, but then it, quite frankly, in many ways, got me elected,” Johnson’s Trump proclaimed, perfectly capturing Trump’s distinctive cadence and circular speaking pattern.
The political satire deepened with Bowen Yang’s appearance as former Congressman George Santos, introduced in the sketch as Trump’s newly appointed “Secretary of Fact Checking and Ambassador to Sephora.”
One of the sketch’s most cutting moments came from a running gag about the physical similarities between Maddow and Hayes. When Nwodim’s Reid attempted to direct a question to Maddow, the camera focused on Hayes, prompting Dismukes to stammer, “Oh, I’m not Rachel, I’m Chris Hayes” – a reference that drew knowing laughter from the audience.
The sketch’s impact extended beyond entertainment, provoking real-world responses. Connecticut Governor Ned Lamont took to social media to defend his state’s culinary offerings following Trump’s fictional proposal to trade Connecticut for Italy.
The episode also highlighted ongoing challenges in political broadcasting. Following Kamala Harris’s surprise appearance during the 2024 presidential campaign, NBC filed an Equal Time notice with the Federal Communications Commission. The network maintained political balance by airing Trump campaign advertisements during NASCAR’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway and the NFL’s Minnesota Vikings-Indianapolis Colts game.
The biting commentary marks SNL’s latest foray into political satire. It builds on a complex relationship with Trump, who hosted the show twice – in 2004 and 2015 – before becoming one of its primary targets. The show’s willingness to lampoon media coverage of presidential politics demonstrates its continuing role in shaping public discourse about politics and journalism.