The March 14 episode of Saturday Night Live (SNL) opened with a sharp parody about the war in Iran and its effects on fuel prices. The cold open shows a family on a long car trip, worried about filling the tank as gas prices climbed.
The mother’s role was played by Ashley Padilla, who said, “Kids, we’re going to have to leave one of you behind.” The sketch quickly shifted into a mock public reassurance from President Trump himself. In the sketch, actor James Austin Johnson played a version of Donald Trump who tried to calm a worried mother and her children.
The Independent reported that the fake President opened with a jab at his own promises, saying, “You might remember me from such campaign promises as lower gas prices and no more wars. We love to make promises because a promise is just a lie that hasn’t happened yet.”
Trump has a lot to discuss pic.twitter.com/L7lkCqrqrO
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) March 15, 2026
The line set the tone for the rest of the scene and underlined the sketch’s point that political spin can sound hollow when people face real costs. The sketch used everyday moments to land its satire.
When the family asked why gas had gone up so much, the faux President quipped, “The Epstein Files! Kidding, but possibly not.” That line drew big laughs and showed how the writers mixed current scandals with economic pain to make a larger point.
Later, the scene brought in a mock Secretary of Defense, played by Colin Jost, who stood in for real-life media personalities and officials. Jost’s character spoke as a stand-in for real commentators and delivered a blunt confession about the war.
“I’ll tell you the same thing I say when people ask about our plans for Iran: I don’t know,” Jost as Pete Hegseth sarcastically replied when the fake President Donald Trump (Johnson) asked what he was doing in the family car.
The admission was played for laughs but also highlighted unease about how foreign policy is explained to the public when details are thin. “You babies in the media are completely unpatriotic. They’re using what I do and say to make me look like a fool in there,” fake Hegseth (Jost) whined.
On the official X account of SNL, they posted another clip of Colin Jost, taking a subtle jab at President Donald Trump, saying, “Today marks the third week of the war in Iran. Which is weird because someone told me that we had already won it on the first day.”
Weekend Update with Colin Jost and Michael Che! pic.twitter.com/ZOWHDSfg55
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) March 15, 2026
Meanwhile, the pump prices in the U.S. have jumped since the Iran–U.S. fighting began. The national average was about $3.68 a gallon on March 14, 2026, per AAA.
Retail prices are up roughly 20–25% since the conflict started as crude rose above $100 a barrel amid disruptions and shipping fears around the Strait of Hormuz. The Energy Information Administration warns that an extended closure of that route would keep upward pressure on oil and gasoline for the time being.
