NBC’s beloved comedy show, “Saturday Night Live,” is no stranger to political humor and satire. As it kicked off its 50th season, the sketch comedy series found itself at the center of controversy for a recent segment that made light of the two recent assassination attempts against former President Donald Trump.
The Trump War Room took to Twitter to voice their disapproval of the show’s content, using the single word “disgusting” to summarize their thoughts on the matter. The tweet highlighted the two assassination attempts that had taken place within a span of seven weeks and questioned why NBC would find humor in such a serious issue.
The particular segment in question featured actor James Austin Johnson portraying Trump, addressing his Republican followers with a call to “come back because we’re having fun.” He then proceeded to comment on the events that had transpired during the assassination attempts, attributing them to the rhetoric of the radical left.
Saturday Night Live” began its 50th season by bringing back several former co-stars, including Maya Rudolph as Vice President Kamala Harris and Andy Samberg as her husband Doug Emhoff. Dana Carvey also made an appearance as President Joe Biden. The show’s cold open featured a mock rally where Rudolph-as-Harris encouraged the audience to “stay focused,” emphasizing the importance of unity and moving past the drama that had unfolded in recent events.
Despite its longstanding history of tackling political humor, this particular segment seemed to cross a line for many who felt that it was not an appropriate subject matter for satire. With such a heated political climate, it remains to be seen how “Saturday Night Live” will approach future content surrounding the Trump administration and other politically-charged topics.