‘SNL’s’‘Weekend Update’ welcomes back bumbling versions of brothers
After 25 years of young daughters in the White House, America finally has a first family with grown men to pick on. And the Trump brothers, as swaggering, slick-haired trustees of real-estate and reality-TV wealth, would seem perfect for a ribbing on ‘SNL.’
THIS week, “Saturday Night Live” continued its portrayal of Eric Trump as the president’s dimwitted son. He and Donald Trump Jr. - portrayed by Alex Moffat and Mikey Day, respectively - filled in “Weekend Update” host Colin Jost on what they had been up to for the past few months.
“For me, it was running the Trump Organization, breaking ground on a new Trump property,” Don Jr. began, before Eric cut in: “And I had swim lessons!”
President Donald Trump asked his older son to stump for Republicans on the campaign trail, Don Jr. said, while Eric admitted that he was told to “stay home.” Don Jr. added that his father is “confident that supposed blue wave isn’t making landfall any time soon, which I’m sure makes everyone sad here at ‘SNL,’ ‘Saturday Night Liberals.’”
The buzziest Trump news of the week earned a mention when Jost asked the brothers about a New York Times story from Tuesday that dissected how President Trump had “participated in dubious tax schemes during the 1990s, including instances of outright fraud.”
Don Jr. responded, in a matterof-fact tone: “OK, yes. Our grandfather gave our father gifts over the years. But it wasn’t to avoid taxes, it was to -”
“Evade taxes!” Eric interjected, after which Don Jr. attempted to distract him by teaching him how to play with a puppet.
In March, The Washington Post’s Dan Zak ruminated on why “SNL” chooses to portray the Trump brothers as it does:
“In reality, Donald Trump Jr. is a 40-year-old father of five and a graduate of the University of Pennsylvania’s Wharton School, and Eric is 34, a new father and a graduate of Georgetown University. They are executive vice presidents of the Trump Organization. They are essentially running the family business while their father runs the country.
“None of this matters in the eyes of partisans and satirists. After 25 years of young daughters in the White House, America finally has a first family with grown men to pick on. And the Trump brothers, as swaggering, slick-haired trustees of realestate and reality-TV wealth, would seem perfect for a ribbing, however imprecise, on ‘SNL.’”
The “Weekend Update” segment also addressed another member of the MAGA universe last week’s musical guest, Kanye West. Pete Davidson showed up to share his reaction to the proTrump rant West delivered after the show had gone off the air because, according to Davidson, “(Michael) Che’s black, but I’m
Dan Zak,The Washington Post
crazy, and we both know which side of Kanye is at the wheel right now.” (The comedian has been vocal about managing his borderline personality disorder.)
What West said was “one of the most awkward things we’ve seen here,” Davidson continued, “and I’ve seen Chevy Chase speak to an intern.” He denied West’s claims that “SNL” cast and crew members had “bullied” him for wearing a Make America Great Again hat. He also called out the rapper for saying that Democrats broke up black families to promote welfare.
“Kanye, I know you’re, like, ‘This is the real me, I’m off the meds,’” he said. “Take ‘em! There’s no shame in the medicine game.”
Davidson concluded his portion of the segment by putting on a red hat with white block-print words on it that read, “MAKE KANYE 2006 AGAIN.”