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SNL Cold Open Has Alec Baldwin's President Trump Fighting Interplanetary Aliens In 2018
By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 12, 2017
Modified Mar 12, 2017
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By
Jen Chung
Published Mar 12, 2017
Modified Mar 12, 2017
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Is the real test of presidential readiness whether or not your can imagine the Commander-in-Chief being the kind of leader President Whitmore, played by Bill Pullman, was in Independence Day? In last night's Saturday Night Live, the cold open offered up a scenario that had aliens from the planet Zorblatt 9 attacking the United States next year—and Alec Baldwin portrayed President Trump once again to give a rousing speech to soldiers, "Now here’s the deal. We’re going to beat these aliens because we’ve got the best military, but we don’t win anymore. And the aliens are laughing at us. They’re killing us and they’re laughing at us."
Let's just say, things don't go well:
When Kenan Thompson, playing a soldier, asks what he will do to fight the aliens, who have the edge with the latest technology, "Trump" says, “Here’s what we’re going to do. “We are going to bring coal back, okay? We’re going to have so much coal, you’re going to say ‘Where did all this coal come from? I never knew there could be so much coal.’"
Later on, Baldwin's "Trump" insists, "Actually, I heard the aliens are already here. They've been hiding in this country for hundred of years. They are shape-shifters. They look like regular people, but they're aliens," pointing at soldiers played by Leslie Jones and Sasheer Zamata. And where is he getting this information? "Infowars, it's a radio show hosted by Alex Jones. You know he's legit because he's always taking off his shirt."
Some other zingers:
- Upon learning that California has been destroyed, "So then I won the popular vote?"
- When another soldier reports that NYC has been attacked and the Trump Hotel has been damaged, to the cost of $50 million, "Trump" clarifies, "More like a billion dollars." The soldier continues that no one was hurt because "no one was staying at that hotel." "Trump" offered, "I’m sure a bunch of top-shelf, very classy people died there!"
- When the alien leader (Bobby Moynihan) realizes that "Trump" is the leader, he proclaims, "Really? This is going to be so easy!"
This and last week's Jeff Sessions-as-Forest Gump cold open were not as brutal (or funny) as past spoofs of the presidency. Earlier this week, Baldwin said he wasn't sure if he'd still play the role, "The maliciousness of this White House has people very worried. That’s why I’m not going to do it much longer, the impersonation. I don’t [know] how much more people can take it."
Tagged
alec baldwin
saturday night live
snl
zorblatt 9
Jen Chung
Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.
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Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
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