'SNL' mocks Barron Trump’s height, Internet slams show for 'horrid' joke about teenager

'SNL' faced backlash after comedian James Austin Johnson, portraying Donald Trump, compared Barron Trump to Gandalf from 'The Lord of the Rings'
UPDATED JAN 27, 2025
Barron Trump became the target of a controversial joke on a recent episode of 'Saturday Night Live' (Chip Somodevilla/
Barron Trump became the target of a controversial joke on a recent episode of 'Saturday Night Live' (Chip Somodevilla/

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Barron Trump, the 18-year-old son of President Donald Trump, became the subject of a cruel joke during a recent 'Saturday Night Live' (SNL) skit on January 26.

The sketch, which aired on the first episode of 'SNL' following Trump's inauguration on January 20, took aim at the towering height of the NYU student, who stands at 6 feet 9 inches.



 

James Austin Johnson mocks Barron Trump’s height in controversial SNL skit

The segment featured comedian James Austin Johnson, who portrayed Donald Trump. The spoof took a dark turn when Johnson compared Barron to Gandalf, the towering wizard from 'The Lord of the Rings' series.

After interrupting a performance by guest star Lin-Manuel Miranda and the 'SNL' cast, Johnson addressed Barron, referring to him as Trump’s "new favorite son."


WASHINGTON, DC - JANUARY 20: Barron Trump arrives to the inauguration of U.S. President-elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the U.S. Capitol on January 20, 2025 in Washington, DC. Donald Trump takes office for his second term as the 47th president of the United States. (Photo by Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)
Barron Trump arrives at the inauguration of US President-elect Donald Trump in the Rotunda of the US Capitol on January 20, 2025, in Washington, DC (Chip Somodevilla/Getty Images)

“Never say never,” Johnson's Trump responded as Miranda said, “In America we will never have a king.”

Johnson then proceeded to discuss Barron’s height, joking, “But I’m back in the White House just in time, everything is back to how it was, except my new favorite son is Barron and he's smacking his head on every door frame – oh it’s bad.”

“It’s like when Gandalf goes to Bilbo’s house,” Johnson added, drawing a comparison to a scene in 'The Hobbit', a prequel to 'The Lord of the Rings', where the incredibly tall Gandalf enters Bilbo Baggins’s home.

WEST PALM BEACH, FLORIDA - NOVEMBER 06: Republican presidential nominee, former U.S. President Donald Trump dances on stage with former first lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 06, 2024 in West Palm Beach, Florida. Americans cast their ballots today in the presidential race between Republican nominee former President Donald Trump and Vice President Kamala Harris, as well as multiple state elections that will determine the balance of power in Congress. (Photo by John Moore/Getty Images)
Republican presidential nominee, former US President Donald Trump dances on stage with former first lady Melania Trump and Barron Trump during an election night event at the Palm Beach Convention Center on November 6, 2024, in West Palm Beach, Florida (John Moore/Getty Images)

The joke about Barron’s height comes just days after he grabbed the spotlight at his father's inauguration.

The 'SNL' skit added to a controversial history of jokes about Barron, despite the backlash a former 'SNL' writer faced in 2017 for referring to him as a “homeschool shooter” during his father’s first inauguration.

Barron’s physical stature has often been a point of discussion, with the teenager frequently standing out among his family members due to his height.

Critics slam 'SNL' skit mocking Barron Trump’s height and Donald Trump's impersonation

The recent 'Saturday Night Live' skit mocking Barron Trump's height has sparked backlash online. Many viewers took to social media to express their disapproval.

A user wrote, "Barron will be the first King of the Americas."



 

Another added, "Comedy was sacrificed for this skit."



 

One commentator remarked, "Horrid impersonation and the jokes, eh not funny."



 

"I see your Trump material hasn’t changed. Still not trying to win back an audience? I will continue my streak of not watching your unfunny, unimaginative, and unoriginal schtick," said a critic.



 

A person suggested, "You should get someone who actually does a good Trump impression."



 

Someone else chimed in, "Dumb and clearly woke-sided. Reminds me why I no longer watch. Thanks for the reminder."



 

"They're reduced to attacking people's kids? That's what we're doing?" asked one user.



 

"Did SNL do a single skit on Hunter Biden?," stated another.



 

Giving a personal reference an individual said, "My son is very tall. I always felt bad for him because people treated him like he was a lot older than he actually was. He is just a kid, leave him alone."



 

This article contains remarks made on the Internet by individual people and organizations. MEAWW cannot confirm them independently and does not support claims or opinions being made online.

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