‘White POTUS’ Is Inevitable ‘SNL’ Trump Parody You Didn’t Know You Needed
Seriously, how did it take so long for someone to come up with a spoof called The White POTUS? Credit to Saturday Night Live for finally getting the job done, calling in favors from copious celebrities and former cast members to pull off the pitch-perfect pretaped parody.
James Austin Johnson’s Trump is the protagonist, the once-successful financier whose world is crumbling under his feet. In a nice touch, the DUKE T-shirt is replaced by one that reads KING. “We are so lucky that America will always be a rich and powerful nation,” drawls Melania (Chloe Fineman making a meal out of Parker Posey’s North Carolina accent). “I mean, can you imagine how awful it would be if America lost all its money and no one in the world respected us anymore?”
Alex Moffat makes his SNL return as Eric Trump, thankfully too dimwitted to do anything racy with Mikey Day’s Don Jr., though the winking implications are there. Where, they wonder, has our sister been during this Trump term? Cut to Scarlett Johansson meditating in a temple, her Ivanka creeping out of the session when the guru suggests giving up greed and material possessions.
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Host Jon Hamm took on RFK Jr., carrying around a hypodermic needle full of measles and ready to infect the first tourist who suggests fluoride might be good for one’s teeth. Speaking of teeth, Sarah Sherman’s take on Chelsea, the young girlfriend with the prodigious overbite, is borderline cruel. Hilarious, yes, but not very nice.
Kristi Noem (Heidi Gardner) and Pam Bondi (Ashley Padilla) share drinks with Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernández) in the resort’s outdoor bar, and just when the parody seems to be running out of gas, Beck Bennett returns as Shirtless Putin to add a little erotic charge to the proceedings. (Shout out to the 2017 cast!)
Shirtless Putin might be the only one who can save the despondent Trump, caressing his shoulders while murmuring, “Hey, what’s the matter, baby?” Maybe it’s all weird dreams — or maybe Don Jr. did wake up in bed with an unexpected male companion. (It’s Tiger Woods, in the news for canoodling with Don Jr.’s ex, Vanessa.)
The sketch reminds us that we’re all living in a Mike White black comedy, full of unexpected twists and tragedies. The parody certainly seemed to hit the sweet spot for SNL fans last night.
Ans so, like White’s HBO series, don’t be surprised if new iterations of this sketch keep coming back.