Saturday Night Live transformed a real-life medical emergency from the White House into biting political comedy during this weekend's cold open, targeting former President Donald Trump's reaction to a man collapsing during an Oval Office meeting.
From Reality to Satire: The Oval Office Incident
The sketch opened with SNL's resident Donald Trump impersonator, James Austin Johnson, addressing the camera while chaos unfolded behind him. A man had fainted during an actual Oval Office meeting earlier in the week, providing perfect material for the show's writers.
"Oh, hi. I didn't see you there. Someone was dying in my office," Johnson quipped as people scrambled to assist the collapsed man in the background. He then critiqued his own character's response: "I think I'm playing this very normal, just stand there and stare like a sociopath. Didn't even pretend like I was going to help like someone drops something and you do the fake bend."
RFK Jr.'s Swift Exit and Other Political Jabs
The comedy didn't stop with Trump. Johnson also targeted Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., who reportedly left the scene quickly after the actual incident. "And how about RFK? Booked it out of here like someone was trying to give him a vaccine," Johnson joked. "Brain worm take the wheel! That thing kinda Ratatouille'd him right out of the room."
Johnson's Trump then explained his weekly tradition of creating "a big visual that sort of sums up how things are going," referencing both the recent East Wing demolition and the current situation of "a medical professional almost dying in my Oval Office at the mere thought of charging less for drugs."
Ignoring Real Problems for Comedy Gold
The sketch brilliantly highlighted the administration's tendency to overlook significant issues while maintaining an optimistic facade. Johnson's Trump called it an "awesome week" while ignoring several critical developments:
- The historically long government shutdown
- Supreme Court skepticism toward tariff policies
- FAA flight reductions due to air traffic controller shortages
- Ongoing legal battles over food benefits
- Democratic election victories that media called a "rebuke of Trump's policies"
Addressing the last point, Johnson's Trump shrugged: "Jokes on them: They're Stephen Miller's policies. I don't read that stuff. No like-y read-y."
The sketch also tackled economic concerns, with Johnson celebrating that "The Supreme Court said we could stop feeding poor people. You can clap for that, SNAP!" When addressing food prices that are 3% higher than last year according to the Consumer Price Index, he offered this solution to Thanksgiving concerns: "Well, good news is your family's not coming because all the planes are gone."
Johnson summarized the administration's approach as "problems solving problems" and "killing two birds with another bird, now you got a bunch of crazy birds." The sketch maintained SNL's tradition of turning current political events into sharp, timely comedy that resonates with viewers across the political spectrum.
