‘SNL’ cold open tackles Trump’s indictment
By Alli Rosenbloom, CNN
The cold open of “Saturday Night Live” featured comedian James Austin Johnson considering possible jail time as an indicted former President Donald Trump.
“Well folks it happened. I got indicted,” Johnson said, later poking at rhetoric from the former president, saying, “What the radical left Democrats are doing to me is worse than any crime I’ve ever committed, and I’ve committed a lot.”
Johnson as Trump joked he’d be putting out an album of 30 classic covers to raise money from supporters called, “Now That’s What I Call My Legal Defense Fund,” a play on the “Now That’s What I Call” compilation albums.
“Folks, your hard-earned money is important. If I go to jail, I would need money for commissary snacks,” Johnson said. “I will need a supply of ramens to successfully barter with a large man named Lizard.”
He joked that the song “Justice For All,” an actual single released in March by a choir of men who are in prison for their participation in the attack on the US Capitol on January 6, 2021 that features a recording of the former president, was a top download and beat “Flowers” by Miley Cyrus, “which, as we all know, is about Liam (Hemsworth).”
The skit featured a series of cameos by other cast members portraying artists and known Trump supporters with duets on the fictional album, including Kenan Thompson as boxer Don King, Mikey Day as Donald Trump Jr. and Devon Walker as Afroman.
“I really don’t want to go to jail, but when I think about how shredded I might get, it’s awfully tempting,” Johnson quipped.
The indictment marks the first time in US history that a current or former president has been criminally charged. The indictment was filed under seal and charges are not yet public.
Trump is expected to appear in court Tuesday afternoon for his arraignment, sources tell CNN, and Johnson reminded viewers of the pending event when he closed out the skit by saying, “Manhattan, I’ll see you on Tuesday. We’ll be wild.”
The-CNN-Wire
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