Gothamist

A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.

Gothamist

WNYC Listen Live

Donate

 

 

Arts & Entertainment

SNL Cold Open: Of Course Trump's DEA Nominee Is Walter White From 'Breaking Bad'


By

Jen Chung

Published Dec 11, 2016

Modified Dec 11, 2016


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


Never miss a story

 Email address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .


By

Jen Chung

Published Dec 11, 2016

Modified Dec 11, 2016


Share

FacebookTwitterRedditEmail


We rely on your support to make local news available to all

Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations

After incurring the President-elect's ire after last week's first sketch, Saturday Night Live continued to poke at the orange bear with another Trump-focused cold open. This time, Alec Baldwin got a break and another Emmy-winner got a turn: Bryan Cranston appeared, because if the Trump White House is gonna have someone head the Drug Enforcement Agency, it's gotta be Walter White from Breaking Bad!

CNN's Jake Tapper, played by Beck Bennett, asks Trump campaign manager Kellyanne Conway (Kate McKinnon) about the various nominees for administration positions, "It's almost like Mr. Trump appoints these people specifically to undermine the very agencies they head. Are these bad picks?" To which Conway says, "No, they are not bad. They are alt-good."

Then Tapper excitedly announces that Trump's nominee for the DEA is a "high school science teacher from New Mexico"—Walter White. Conway explains that Steve Bannon recommended White for the job, to which White says, "We've had some times." Also, Bannon found White in Breitbart.com's comments section.

White likes Trump, because "he acts first, and then asks questions later. I also like that wall he wants to build. Nothing comes in from Mexico, which means a lot less competition for the rest of us." They also share similar views: "It’s time to make America cook again. We want to fill this nation with red, white, and a whole lot of blue."

Tagged

bryan cranston

saturday night live

snl

walter white


Jen Chung

Jen Chung is a former WNYC and Gothamist editor.

Read more

Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations


MORE arts-entertainment

The hottest way to show you're an authentic New Yorker is… riding a Citi Bike?

Thanks to Dua Lipa, Kim Kardashian, Timothée Chalamet and more, the rideshare program is having a moment.

By

Lindsay Lee Wallace

Published Oct 8, 2026


Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?

If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.

By

James Ramsay

Arts & Entertainment

Is NYC’s hottest attraction the free observation deck at 1 Centre Street?

If you're playing tourist in your own town, this is an in-demand option.

By

James Ramsay


What happens when NYC kids take lessons in rock music? Really good bands.

By

Jayson Greene

Inside a photographer's journey to visit every neighborhood in New York City

By

Sonia Rao

Banned books and Winnie the Pooh: October in NYC libraries

By

Alec Hamilton


Never miss a story

Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.

Sign upEmail address

By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .