The latest episode of Saturday Night Live opened with a parody of President Donald Trump’s recent Rose Garden speech, which introduced a wide-reaching tariff policy. James Austin Johnson played Trump, delivering a mock address that described the new plan using phrases like “MAGDA: Make America Great Depression Again.”
Johnson’s Trump described tariffs as “the backbone of my incredible plan” and referred to them as “short for terrific idea.” He continued, “It’s actually even better than a plan because it’s a series of random numbers,” adding that the numbers were like the ones seen on a monitor in the television series Severance.
As part of the sketch, Trump held up a cardboard sheet outlining tariffs placed on more than 100 countries. When his Secretary of Commerce, portrayed by Andrew Dismukes, initially brought out a cheesecake menu by mistake, the scene shifted to confusion about which countries were affected and in what order. “We listed the countries in an order that’s neither alphabetical nor numerical for maximum confusion,” Johnson’s Trump said.
He also joked about placing tariffs on the uninhabited Heard and McDonald Islands, calling them “God’s country,” and referenced country singer Morgan Wallen’s post-show exit the previous week. “Get me to God’s country,” he said, while displaying a mock-up of McDonald’s Island.
Mike Myers appeared as Elon Musk, wearing a cheese hat and explaining his latest Tesla concept. “Yes, recently our dealerships have been the target of many attacks,” Myers’ Musk said. “And suddenly no one likes Tesla cars. So I asked myself why. And then I answered myself: because of me.” He introduced the Tesla Model V, which he described as a self-vandalizing vehicle. “It features self-smashing headlights, tire slashing, and AI-powered graffiti,” he said. Among the options, he added, were explicit symbols and combinations of both.
Jack Black hosted the episode, marking his fourth time and his first appearance on the show in two decades. Early in his monologue, Black joked about quitting, saying the pressure was too much. A guitar riff played shortly after. “That’s not fair. You know what this song does to me,” he said, before launching into a live musical number with a full marching band.
Black moved through the audience, greeted cast members, and referenced the show’s anniversary. He mispronounced a few names along the way, saying, “It’s been a while since I watched the show.” The musical performance included lyrics referencing his film work and ended with the line, “SNL’s 50, and I’m 55.”
The program later included a brief on-screen card honoring Val Kilmer, who died earlier in the week at the age of 65 from pneumonia.
Musical guests for the episode were Elton John and Brandi Carlile.
