'SNL' Cold Open mocks Trump's Middle East trip

Yes, they talk about the $400 million plane.
 By 
Tim Marcin
 on 
snl's cast as trump and MBS embracing
Watch Next

The final episode of Saturday Night Live's 50th season began with a cold open featuring, what else, a sketch about Donald Trump.

Cast member James Austin Johnson fired up his spot-on impression to recap Trump's recent trip to the Middle East. And the sketch hit the points you might expect. Most notably, it touched on the $400 million plane gifted by Qatar and Trump's seeming adoration of Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman.

The sketch is pretty funny and centers on how much Trump seemed to be enjoying himself during his trip away from the States. And we won't spoil the end, but it takes a turn you might not see coming before we get the "Live from New York..."

close-up of man's face
Tim Marcin
Associate Editor, Culture

Tim Marcin is an Associate Editor on the culture team at Mashable, where he mostly digs into the weird parts of the internet. You'll also see some coverage of memes, tech, sports, trends, and the occasional hot take. You can find him on Bluesky (sometimes), Instagram (infrequently), or eating Buffalo wings (as often as possible).


Latest Videos
Kai Cenat's 'Hot Ones' reaction to Da Bomb is instantly iconic
Kai Cenat on 'Hot Ones.'

OK Go's Damian Kulash and Tim Nordwind reflect on how a viral music video changed their band forever.
By Kristy Puchko and Warren Shaw
OK Go performing with the Muppets composited over their video "Upside Down & Inside Out"


'King of the Hill' is back! Watch the Season 14 trailer.
Boomhauer, Hank, Dale, and Bill in "King of the Hill."

'The Daily Show' skewers Elon Musk over Grok's antisemitic 'MechaHitler' tirade
A screenshot of Ronny Chieng on 'The Daily Show.'

'Wednesday' Season 2 trailer: Jenna Ortega must save Emma Myers in new gothic mystery
Jenna Ortega in "Wednesday."

How A24's 'Warfare' got the sound of war right
Scene from A24's 'Warfare'

'The Daily Show' mocks Trump's response to the Epstein 'client list'
A man in a suit sits behind a talk show desk, side-eyeing another image of two men standing next to each other.


Jon Stewart gets genuinely angry talking about Trump's 'big beautiful bill'
A man sits behind a talk show desk, looking angry.

The biggest stories of the day delivered to your inbox.
These newsletters may contain advertising, deals, or affiliate links. By clicking Subscribe, you confirm you are 16+ and agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.
Thanks for signing up. See you at your inbox!