The SNL cast’s weekly skewering of President Donald Trump took both overt and subtle forms this week, as one sketch longed for the bygone days of the Obama administration. Chance the Rapper, Chris Redd and Kenan Thompson channeled Boyz II Men, K-Ci & JoJo, Color Me Badd and pretty much any other ’90s R&B act for their “Come Back, Barack” skit. The trio crooned for the 44th President, mourning his absence, and most definitely got some shots in at his orange-tinted successor.
“Every night I turn the TV on and cry/I say why I feel like we’re all gonna die/So come back Barack/Even though it’s not allowed/We want you back somehow…” the trio sang.
No ’90s R&B tropes were spared—from the wide cut suits, extra note bending, and over the top rain montages. Of course, the plot twist came in the form of the guys not singing to a jilted lover, but rather to a former President Obama out there living his best life.
President Donald Trump, the owner of a historically low Presidential approval rating, wasn’t mentioned explicitly by name. But did he have to be?
“Things are looking bad/Like really bad, like world war bad, like nuclear bad,” the trio sang, referencing Trump’s ongoing feud with North Korea’s Kim Jong-Un.
The hashtag #ComeBackBarack began trending on Twitter early Sunday morning. And while Trump supporters were quick to throw their “Make America Great Again” capes on, it was pretty clear the sketch resonated with anti-Trump crowd.
Who can blast "Come Back Barack" outside the White House?? #comebackbarack #ChanceOnSNL #SNL #TheResistance pic.twitter.com/DKTEdPgMD2
#ComeBackBarack?
Think again.
O will be remembered for 3 things:
1. He spent more money than anyone in history, nothing to show.
2. He deliberately promoted division & animosity between blacks & whites.
3. In letting ISIS grow, he created the Muslim exodus to Islamacize Europe. pic.twitter.com/STyI8amcnD
Um, an @nbcsnl skit is not supposed to make you cry, right? #comebackbarack
It’s important to note here that SNL invited Trump as a guest host on November 7, just weeks before the 2016 election in what most viewed as an obvious ratings grab. But after repeatedly flaming Trump, and his subsequent Twitter responses, it will be interesting to see if he has a comeback for this particular sketch.
