The following article by Elahe Izadi was posted on the Washington Post website February 4, 2018:
“Saturday Night Live” kicked off this week’s episode with a cold open sketch that lampooned “Fox & Friends” and included a cameo from President Trump impersonator Alec Baldwin, watching the morning show from bed.
“We want to say a big hello to all of our fans out there,” the Ainsley Earhardt character (Heidi Gardner) says. “Whether you’re fixing breakfast, or getting dressed for work, or laying in the Lincoln Bedroom tweeting with an Egg McMuffin on your chest — hello!”
First, the panel of fake hosts chat with Hope Hicks (Cecily Strong), who tells them, “We love the show at the White House; it’s playing at full volume during every meeting.” Louis Farrakhan (Chris Redd) also rails against the FBI as “a nest of vipers and devils” to the panel of Fox hosts who are clueless about who he is. (“This bow tie is so great, giving Tucker Carlson some competition!”)
Then Baldwin’s Trump, wearing pajamas and tweeting from his phone, calls into the show to brag about his State of the Union performance and criticize the FBI over a declassified GOP memo (also called the Nunes memo).
“I’m so busy, if you’re wondering why I’m so out of breath, it’s because I’m doing my P90X morning exercises right now,” Baldwin’s Trump says. “But I’m saving the economy, destroying ISIS, and right now I’m getting my daily intelligence briefing.”
“Oh, from who?” another fake “Fox & Friends” host asks. “From who?”
“From you guys,” Trump’s Baldwin responds.
Saturday’s cold open, which was beset by some technical glitches and weird pauses, was the first time Baldwin has appeared on the show since Dec. 2. But despite Baldwin’s absence, SNL has found other ways to make fun of the president without trotting out an impersonator, including skewering a news conference about Trump’s health exam results and guest host Will Ferrell bringing back his President George W. Bush character.
Comedian Will Ferrell returned to SNL on Jan. 27 to portray the former president, who has seen higher approval ratings since he left office. (Patrick Martin/The Washington Post)
Since Baldwin’s last SNL appearance, the actor has also landed himself in headlines for his vocal support of Woody Allen, who faces sexual misconduct allegations from his adoptive daughter. (The writer-director has long denied the allegations.) Baldwin compared Allen accuser Dylan Farrow to a “To Kill a Mockingbird” character who falsely accuses a man of rape and criticized actors denouncing Allen.
Several past Allen collaborators, such as Timothée Chalamet, have recently said they won’t work with Allen in the future. And Oprah Winfrey last month asked a group of A-list actresses — including this week’s SNL host, Natalie Portman — about Farrow, who called on celebrities bolstering the Time’s Up initiative to speak about Allen.
“I believe you, Dylan,” Portman responded. “I believe you.”
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