The White House brushed off the Saturday Night Live season premiere after the show’s opening sketch mocked President Donald Trump, calling the program a “waste of time.”
The NBC comedy show kicked off its new season with cast member James Austin Johnson reprising his role as Trump, delivering a cold open centered on the former president’s return to power. Johnson’s Trump quipped that he was “just here keeping my eye on SNL,” warning the show’s cast not to be “too mean” about him.
“They better be on their best behavior, otherwise they’re going to have to answer to my attack dog at the FCC, Brendan Carr,” Johnson said, referencing the Federal Communications Commission.
The segment ended with Johnson’s Trump warning the audience, “Daddy’s watching,” before introducing the musical guest.
White House spokesperson Abigail Jackson responded sharply to the sketch on Sunday, saying the administration had no plans to engage with the show’s political humor.
“Reacting to this would require me to waste my time watching it,” Jackson told reporters. “And like the millions of Americans who have tuned out from SNL, I have more entertaining things to do — like watch paint dry.”
Once considered a cultural institution for political satire, Saturday Night Live has seen declining viewership in recent years, particularly among conservative audiences. The show’s frequent focus on mocking Trump and Republican officials has fueled criticism that it functions more as partisan commentary than comedy.
Despite this, NBC continues to promote SNL as a key player in late-night television, even as many viewers — and apparently the White House — have stopped paying attention.
