'SNL' mocks Trump with sharp humor over Jeffrey Epstein emails in cold open

NEW YORK CITY, NEW YORK: Donald Trump and Jeffrey Epstein’s emails have dominated headlines recently. From Trump denying ties to the late financier to Representative Marjorie Taylor Greene voting to make the files public, the topic has kept the spotlight on the former president.

 NBC’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) turned its focus to Trump over the Epstein emails in its latest cold open. In the sketch, James Austin Johnson portrayed President Donald Trump defending himself after the House Oversight Committee released Epstein’s emails this week.

The sketch also featured an impersonation of White House Secretary Karoline Leavitt, played by Ashley Padilla. The episode aired Sunday, November 16.

'SNL' mocks Donald Trump’s reaction to Epstein files

The sketch opened in a White House briefing, with Padilla’s Leavitt insisting, "There was no news this week, nothing happening with the president, no weird information was revealed!" When reporters asked why Trump’s name appeared in the Epstein emails, Leavitt brushed off the questions, claiming the president had done nothing wrong. "If anything, his crime was loving too much, and possibly too young," she added.

Johnson’s Trump then took over, declaring he was "hiding almost nothing, just enough to make it extremely suspicious." "Jeffrey Epstein, I barely knew the guy, OK? As evidenced by the thousands of pictures of us together, dancing and grinding our teeth at various parties, always leering and pointing at something just off camera, probably a book we're excited to read," he joked. 

The sketch also poked fun at the government shutdown, with Johnson riffing on grocery prices and flight cancellations. It ended with Johnson’s Trump announcing he had pardoned a turkey for Thanksgiving. "I promised grocery prices would plummet, and they did: They plummeted straight up," he said. "People are saying, 'But sir, how will I afford my Thanksgiving turkey for my family?' Well, the good news is your family's not coming, because all the planes are gone."

Donald Trump denies Epstein links amid release of files

Trump has repeatedly rejected any claims connecting him to Jeffrey Epstein, calling it a political distraction. He argued that opponents were using the Epstein case to divert attention from the government shutdown and other issues. The White House emphasized that the emails do not prove wrongdoing and stressed that Trump has consistently acted with integrity, highlighting ongoing concerns about transparency and accountability related to the release of Epstein files.