Saturday Night Live wasted no time diving into political satire as it opened Season 51 with a scathing cold open lampooning Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, the Jimmy Kimmel suspension, and Donald Trump’s renewed jabs at late-night television. The episode aired live on NBC and Peacock on October 4, with Bad Bunny serving as host and Doja Cat as the musical guest.

The sketch began with James Austin Johnson reprising his acclaimed impression of Trump, warning that he was “keeping my eye on SNL” and cautioning that “daddy’s watching.” He claimed the show would “have to answer to my attack dog at the FCC” if it mocked him unfairly. Moments later, Mikey Day entered as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, underscoring the parody of recent censorship controversies tied to late-night programming.

Colin Jost, better known as the co-anchor of Weekend Update, stepped into the role of Hegseth for the sketch. He delivered a fictional address to the nation’s top generals, declaring that the U.S. military must “follow the same rules as any good frat party: no fat chicks,” a line that instantly went viral online. The exaggerated caricature referenced Hegseth’s fiery public persona and his reputation for unapologetic rhetoric during appearances on Fox News and public speaking engagements such as his 2024 Quantico event.

Trump, Kimmel and the Politics of Late-Night Comedy

The sketch also skewered the controversy surrounding Jimmy Kimmel’s brief network suspension. ABC had temporarily pulled “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” following pressure from FCC Commissioner Brendan Carr over remarks made after the assassination of activist Charlie Kirk. In a pointed exchange, new SNL cast member Kam Patterson joked during Weekend Update that saying “forbidden words” on air would honour Kimmel’s defiance of censorship, drawing laughs from both Colin Jost and the live audience.

Bad Bunny later used his opening monologue to mock conservative backlash over his upcoming Super Bowl halftime show. “I think everyone is happy about it—even Fox News,” he quipped, as edited clips of Fox anchors appeared to endorse him. The episode closed with announcements that Amy Poehler and Role Model will headline the October 11 broadcast, followed by Sabrina Carpenter on October 18.

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