‘SNL’ skewers MSNBC’s Trump obsession with fiery takedown of host Rachel Maddow

On By Littum

This weekend’s “Saturday Night Live” roasted MSNBC in a skit that ridiculed the left-leaning cable news network for everything from its hysteria-prone coverage of President-elect Trump to its anchors’ personalities and appearances.

The segment featured Sarah Sherman as Rachel Maddow—complete with the host’s signature short haircut and thick glasses—introducing herself and warning that fathers watching at home “better hide their older, bookish-looking lesbian daughters.”

Sherman then introduced the panel, which she described as “basically like ‘The Avengers’ to your aunt,” and which included cast members impersonating network regulars, including Ari Melber, Joy Reid, Stephanie Ruhle and Chris Hayes.

The “SNL” movie, which parodies MSNBC, featured impersonations of Joy Reid, Rachel Maddow and Stephanie Ruhle. NBC/SNL

Skitten’s Joy Reid — portrayed by Ego Nwodim — said the network turned over a new leaf when it comes to covering Trump.

“This time, we won’t get sucked in by every new shiny, crazy statement from Trump. We need to focus on what he does, not what he says.”

At that moment, Sherman’s Maddow cuts in to announce some breaking news that Trump wants to “trade Connecticut for Italy.”

The segment bounced between anchors – and hurled their peccadillos, including Melber’s penchant for hip-hop and portraying Ruhle as flighty and flirtatious.

It interrupted the panelists with mocking news a few more times, including a made-up story that the future 47th president had told a group of LA wildfire victims that “Arnold Palmer had some of the longest balls in American history.”

The most stinging barb of the sketch came at the expense of Hayes and Maddow.

The sketch got its biggest reaction from a bit where it suggested that Rachel Maddow and Chris Hayes looked so alike that the camera operator couldn’t tell them apart. NBC/SNL

Nwodim’s Reid at one point asks Maddow a question, but the camera pans to Hayes – played by Andrew Dismukes.

The audience boos awkwardly in recognition as Dismukes stammers, “oh, I’m not Rachel, I’m Chris Hayes,” a riff on a longtime Internet meme the hosts share a resemblance to.

Trump is a frequent source of material for the long-running NBC series, despite hosting the show twice, in 2004 and again in 2015.

Trump is a frequent source of material for the long-running NBC series, despite hosting the show twice, in 2004 and again in 2015. NBC/SNL

During the 2024 presidential election, Vice President Kamala Harris made a surprise appearance on the program, sparking backlash and prompting NBC to file an Equal Time Notice with the Federal Communications Commission a day after the episode aired.

The network ran a Trump campaign ad during its broadcast of NASCAR’s Xfinity 500 at Martinsville Speedway and the NFL’s coverage of the Minnesota Vikings-Indianapolis Colts game on Sunday night.