Donald Trump Regrets Leaving the Middle East in SNL's Season Finale Cold Open
James Austin Johnson took his presidential impression into the studio audience in the opener to Scarlett Johansson's episode.
President Donald Trump's real trip to the Middle East was parodied during Saturday Night Live's final cold open of Season 50, and the show let James Austin Johnson's unparalleled Trump impression shine.
"Mom, Dad, this is Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman, and we're together now," Johnson's Trump said at the top of the cold open. "Kidding, of course. But we are vibing."
"You are too kind, habibi," Mohammed bin Salman (Emil Wakim) replied ("habibi" is an Arabic term that translates to "my dear").
Trump shared that he's "a big fan of everything that Saudi Arabia has to offer, from the oil to the money to... end of list," he said.
"I did this for the American people and, in many ways, myself — my personal enrichment. I did that, too. I did very well on this trip, got a lot of cool stuff," Trump continued, referring to the controversial $300 million aircraft gifted by Qatar to use as Air Force One. "The UAE promised to invest over $1 trillion in the U.S. I love Dubai because they Dubai a lot of weapons."
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SNL's Donald Trump moved from the stage to the Studio 8H audience
"Donald, please stay. Build a palace next to mine and stay," Wakim's Mohammed bin Salman proposed.
"Oh, sadly, I can't. I have to get back home. Luckily, we have our own little slice of Saudi Arabia in America, a dry desert area filled with people who are way too into their religion," Trump told him. "We call ours Utah, and I do very well there."
In fact, he said, he couldn't stay in the sketch any longer. "Gonna have to leave. You know what? Because it's the SNL finale. Season 50, worst one yet," Johnson said, rising to his feet to walk into the audience and scoot someone out of their seat for a sec. "Okay, get up. Go ahead, get up. Get out of there. Let me sit here. Yeah, go with him, go eat Sun Chips in the hallway. I'm here to break the fourth wall."
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Johnson has favored an informal, off-the-cuff Trump delivery in the last few cold opens of the season, including the April 12 one in which he roasted his fellow cast members as they were frozen behind him (watch that here).
After visibly charming the audience members around him, Johnson's Trump told the camera, "But, you know, since it's a finale, that means, after tonight, you won't be seeing me here for a while. Well, not the fake, fun version of me that makes you smile. The real one will still be omnipresent. You can't escape me, right? I'm everywhere. Even in your dreams. Like the late, great Freddy Krueger."
Watch the "Trump Middle East Cold Open" from Season 50, Episode 20, and rewatch every episode from the season on Peacock anytime.
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