James Austin Johnson’s Return as President Donald Trump
In this weekend’s episode of Saturday Night Live, the show continued its comedic critique of key White House figures with a sketch titled “The White POTUS.” James Austin Johnson reprised his role as President Donald Trump, delivering a parody that channels Jason Isaac’s distressed financier from HBO’s The White Lotus.
In light of recent tariff announcements that have sent shockwaves through global financial markets, Johnson’s Trump is depicted coping with the chaos by downing what appears to be a prescription bottle filled with chicken nuggets. The sketch features a moment where he even threatens to shoot Uncle Sam (played by Andrew Dismukes).
As Johnson’s Trump grapples with an existential crisis over breakfast, Chloe Fineman, portraying Melania Trump while channeling Parker Posey’s character from the original show, quips, “Can you imagine how awful it would be if America lost all its money and no one respected us anymore?” She continues, “You would never let our economy go to pieces, right, hon?” This is punctuated by Johnson’s phone buzzing with news of a recession stemming from the tariffs.
The pre-taped segment also featured Mikey Day as Trump Jr., Alex Moffat as Eric Trump, and Scarlett Johansson as Ivanka Trump. In line with her character’s arc, Johansson’s Ivanka seeks spiritual enlightenment but quickly reconsiders when asked, “Am I ready to give up greed and material possessions in order to lead an honest and ethical life?”
Additionally, Beck Bennett returned in a shirtless appearance as Russian President Vladimir Putin, Kenan Thompson portrayed Tiger Woods, and celebrity host Jon Hamm played RFK Jr. The episode included a cameo by musical guest Lizzo, who humorously lamented, “Oh, my God, there’s $5 million in my bank account. It was 20 million last week.”
The sketch received positive feedback from viewers, with many expressing on social media that it was among the best content the show has produced recently. Comments included:
“‘The White POTUS’ is the most brilliant and well-done satire SNL has done this century,” and “The White POTUS is the funniest thing Saturday Night Live has done in years.”
Earlier in the episode, Johnson’s Trump featured in an Easter-themed cold open that humorously dramatized the biblical scene of Jesus (played by Mikey Day) casting out moneylenders from the temple upon entering Jerusalem. Johnson interrupted with, “Remind you of anyone?” He added, “I also got rid of money last week, but instead of one temple, I did a whole country. Maybe even the globe. The money’s gone.”
He concluded with, “Hi, it’s me, your favorite president, Donald Jesus Trump, comparing myself to the son of God once again. Many people are even calling me the Messiah because of the mess I, uh, made out of the economy, all because of my beautiful tariffs.”
