The Senate’s acquittal of Donald Trump in his second impeachment trial on Saturday was perfect fodder for Saturday Night Live’s cold open later that night.
The sketch opened as a parody of Tucker Carlson’s Fox News show, where Alex Moffat played Carlson and Kate McKinnon appeared as Lindsay Graham, with the pair raving about their love for Trump. Aidy Bryant as Ted Cruz soon joined them, the show clowning the senator for being a coward—namely for letting Trump call his wife ugly in 2016. Cruz didn’t have her back at the time, only telling Trump to leave her “out of it,” and still continually showed his faithfulness to Trump.
“Wait, what does it say below me?” Bryant’s Cruz asked. She was referencing the screen’s caption, which read, “Trump said ‘wife ugly.’”
“Oh yeah, that’s what Trump said about my wife,” Bryant’s Cruz continued. “I think she’s beautiful but since Trump is the boss, sorry honey, you busted.”
“Just in time for Valentine’s Day,” Moffat’s Tucker said. “Wow. And can I say the beard is working?” to which Bryant’s Cruz replied, “Well, you’d be the first.” The sketch then touched on one of the more ethically ambiguous moments during the trial: “Like any impartial juror, we took it upon ourselves to meet with the defense lawyers to give them some very simple legal advice: Stop, and don’t.”
The SNL actors were later joined by Pete Davidson as Trump impeachment lawyer Michael van der Veen and Beck Bennett as Mitch McConnell, both of whom defended Trump.
