Saturday Night Live’s newest episode has managed to get a rise out of the White House. Donald Trump and his administration were mercilessly blasted on the show’s Season 51 premiere. A White House official has now reacted to the episode while calling it a ‘waste of time.’
President Trump and Pete Hegseth were the stars of SNL’s recent episode. The 79-year-old was slammed for his battles with various talk show hosts. The skit also took a shot at FCC chair Brendan Carr.
The episode satirically addressed the rumors about the President’s decline in health. Moreover, singer Bad Bunny appeared in the episode to mock the administration’s controversial decision to make sure ICE agents are present at his half-time performance.
Abigail Jackson, a White House spokeswoman, wrote to Entertainment Weekly while labelling the SNL episode as a “waste” of her time. “And like the millions of Americans who have tuned out from ‘SNL,’ I have more entertaining things to do – like watch paint dry,” Jackson added.
James Austin Johnson, who played President Trump in the skit, interrupts Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth by announcing that he is there to make sure the SNL doesn’t “do anything too mean about me.”
Johnson goes on to joke about how if the show mocked the President, his ” attack dog at the FCC, Brandon Carr,” would step in. The threat referenced the incidents when several talk shows were pulled by the FCC.
Trump talks the FCC and recaps his summer pic.twitter.com/hSxYWUuk3U
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) October 5, 2025
The theme the shows had in common was their open criticism of the President on national television. Stephen Colbert and Jimmy Kimmel are two famous talk show hosts who were reprimanded for practicing freedom of speech on national television.
The skit ended with a warning for people everywhere who wish to make an enemy out of the President by provoking him. “Remember: Daddy’s watching,” Johnson can be heard saying on a cautionary note.
SNL’s portrayal of the President was seen as a slap in the face to the government, which is attempting to regulate media content. The show spared no opportunity to mock the administration, which included Bad Bunny chiming in.
“Anyways, you might not know this, but I’m doing the Super Bowl halftime show,” the Puerto Rican artist began during a segment. He went on to note how ecstatic he is to perform at the show. “I think everyone is happy about it,” he added sarcastically.
The artist addressing the situation comes after Trump’s former campaign manager, Corey Lewandowski, warned that ICE agents would be present at the half-time show. He appeared on The Benny Show to share that even the Super Bowl would not be out of reach for the ICE in terms of arresting illegal aliens.
“There is nowhere you can provide safe haven to people who are in this country illegally,” Lewandowski was heard saying. He then criticised the NFL for choosing Bad Bunny to headline the half-time show. The 52-year-old labelled the decision “shameful.” He also alleged that the artist hated America.
