In a recent episode of “Saturday Night Live,” host Jon Hamm and musical guest Lizzo took viewers on a comedic journey through the tumultuous landscape of the U.S. economy. The cold open provided a gut-busting kick-off to what has to be the biblical “Cleansing of the Temple.” In this retelling, Jesus (played by Mikey Day) was battling to drive all the temple profiteers out of Jerusalem’s temple. This hilarious spoof couldn’t have summed up the ongoing global economic crisis worsened by – you guessed it – President Donald Trump’s unpredictable and constantly shifting tariffs better.
That sketch, which ran on NBC, a subsidiary of NBCUniversal, gave the company cover to call for an end to the commercialization of Easter. It used that platform to draw attention to the ridiculousness of the economic crisis hitting so many Americans right now. As the scene unfolded, Trump himself became a focal point, with Hamm impersonating the president and addressing his controversial policies directly.
True to character, Trump admitted the impact of his “beautiful tariffs” on the economy. He freely acknowledged that these tariffs have created a lot of disruption. He himself said that everyone is referring to him as the Messiah. Excuse them, they lay the economic kludge at his feet and high upon his lovely tariffs. So beautiful. They were just doing too good a job I had to pull the plug on them. This line was indicative of the show’s purpose, to mix comedy with biting social critique.
Trump also touched on perceptions of faith and attendance at church during the holiday season, remarking, “It’s sad some people only attend church on Christmas and Easter.” He further tripled onto his meta-punchline with “your favorite president, Donald Jesus Trump.” This was the moment when the boundary between comedy and political reality got a bit hazy.
The SNL cold open did a tremendous job of using humor to address serious issues and to summarize the national mood regarding the effect of Trump’s policies. As viewers laughed at the absurdity of a president comparing himself to a messianic figure amidst economic woes, they were reminded of the ongoing discussions about wealth distribution and economic equity in America.
“A historic transfer of wealth from the middle class to my buddies.” – Donald Trump
Hamm’s image of Trump drew to a dramatic close. Audiences went home thinking about both the sketch’s overall entertainment value and the deep implications of its message. With its blend of humor and critique, SNL not only entertained but provoked thought about the complexities of faith, economics, and leadership in contemporary society.