Saturday Night Live centered its cold open segment on a comparison between Donald Trump and Jesus Christ ahead of Palm Sunday.
With Easter a week away, the skit was the second episode ahead of the holiday that the cast opted to mock Trump using religious jokes. It is likely to spark an annual tradition of continuing the theme with Trump in office. This year, the skit began with a dramatic reenactment of Jesus cleansing the temple by flipping the merchant’s table. Just then, James Austin Johnson interrupted with his Trump impression.
“It’s me, your favorite president, Donald Jesus Trump, comparing myself to the Son of God once again,” Johnson said.
Johnson referenced the president’s announced tariffs, which ultimately underwent a 90-day pause. Ahead of the tariffs, the S&P 500 was in the middle of a consecutive six-week slump, but once the White House confirmed a pause, the markets improved.
“It’s true, the stock market did a Jesus. It died, then on the third day, it was risen. And then, on a fourth day, it died again, possibly never to return. Just like Jesus,” Johnson said. “Where the heck is that guy? Come back, get me out of this.”
There was also a nod to the Jewish holiday Passover, which Johnson joked got its name “because it’s when we pass right over the kosher section in the grocery store, go straight to that Easter candy.” Still, the sketch outraged Christians gearing up to commemorate Holy Week.
“For the second year in a row, SNL made fun of religion during Easter season. Disgusting. Cancel the show,” one user wrote on X in response to the sketch.
SNL POKES FUN AT TRUMP ECONOMY AND TELLS MUSK: ‘IT’S TIME TO NEVER SEE YOU AGAIN’
“@nbc really? Saturday Night Live is making a comedy sketch on the Holiest time of the year for Christians. Making a comedy sketch on Jesus and Easter- Turned it off. As I will your channel- including your Nightly News. Bye bye- done with NBC,” another user wrote.
On Wednesday morning, Trump suggested to his followers on Truth Social that “THIS IS A GREAT TIME TO BUY.” This was hours before it rebounded, while Trump announced the pause on tariffs. The sole tariff that remains is against China at 145%.
