SNL Saturday Night Live and Donald Trump: Comedy, Controversy, and Cultural Impact

Cultural touchstone of decades, SNL Saturday Night Live is an assemblage of humor, biting social commentary, and biting political commentary. No public figure, though, provoked as much controversy—and as much controversy for the sketch show—as did Donald Trump. From Alec Baldwin’s iconic imitations to Trump’s divisive hosting stint, the relationship of SNL with Trump is itself a dramatic satirical trope. Allow us to examine in what ways the decades-long sketch show impacted the public perception of the former president and, in turn, how Trump reshaped SNL’s universe of humor.

SNL and Donald Trump’s Tumultuous Relationship

Before Donald Trump’s election as the 45th President of the United States, he was already a staple cameo on Saturday Night Live. Since paroding celebrities, politicians, and public figures for over four decades, SNL has been making fun of them, but Trump’s mix of business arrogance and reality show fame made him an early and easy target. He was originally employed as a guest in the 1980s and routinely lampooned as the poster child for unbridled greed and ambition.

But everything changed when Trump entered the political sphere. What was previously just lighthearted playful jesting turned into biting satire. SNL then began slicing apart Trump’s policies, actions, and public statements with sharp wit during the 2016 presidential election and throughout his presidency.

Alec Baldwin’s Emmy-Winning Trump

Perhaps no politician’s impression on SNL has been more effective—or incendiary—than Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of Donald Trump. Begun in 2016, Baldwin’s Trump was bombastic, pinched-eyed, and filled with comedic gems that wowed and enraged viewers.

Baldwin’s Trump was a weekly fixture throughout the election cycle, from catastrophic debates to absurd press conferences. The impression won Baldwin a Primetime Emmy Award and enabled SNL to enjoy some of its highest ratings in years. But laughter wasn’t the only response—these parodies carried weight. They created a caricature of Trump that many Americans began to relate to the real man.

Trump himself did not like it. He frequently harassed the show on Twitter (now X), calling it “unwatchable,” “biased,” and “sad.” But, in a somewhat perverse way, each tweet and complaint seemed to make the show more visible.

Trump’s Infamous Hosting Gig

Long before he was president, Donald Trump even hosted SNL Saturday Night Live—twice. Once during the peak of The Apprentice in 2004, and then again in November 2015, when he was campaigning to be president. That second go-around created an enormous backlash.

Several others slammed SNL for giving Trump a platform when he was spearheading aggressive rhetoric. Some even picketed outside NBC studios, and the show faced angry media coverage. While the ratings were clearly high, others felt the episode was a blunder—where satire and normalization blurred.

However, SNL defended the decision as an instance of comedy and freedom of speech. Whether it helped or hurt Trump’s campaign is debatable, but the fact remains: few politicians in the nation’s history have hosted and been parodied by the same program to the same degree.

Trump’s SNL Obsession: Fuel for the Fire

It should come as no surprise that Donald Trump follows TV so closely, and SNL has been particularly problematic for him. His constant attacks on the show have only managed to boost its sketches into national news. Trump’s responses, in turn, tended to give SNL free advertising, so people tuned in just to see what everyone was making such a fuss about.

In 2018, after a cold open spoofs Trump’s administration as “It’s a Wonderful Life” gone wrong, Trump wrote on Twitter: “A REAL scandal is the one-sided coverage, hour by hour, of networks like NBC & Democrat spin machines like Saturday Night Live.” On that day, #SNL went viral all over the world.

This loop—SNL mocking Trump, Trump striking back, and America watching—turned into a loop that solidified both Trump’s and SNL’s cultural relevance. While SNL gained from the material, Trump’s outrage meant he saw the show as more than just comedy—maybe as a danger to his public image.

The Power of Political Satire

SNL never hesitated to ridicule political leaders, from Nixon through to Biden. Trump’s term in office was different, though. Comedy wasn’t entertainment anymore; it was a coping strategy, a form of protest, and a way to make sense out of a mad world. The sketches weren’t just funny—there were cathartic.

Whether it was Melissa McCarthy’s off-the-wall Sean Spicer or Kate McKinnon’s creepy rendition of “Hallelujah” after the 2016 election, America’s fears were reflected in SNL. And Trump, being a character, was a gift to the writers’ room.

But the satire cut. It contributed to how others viewed the president. According to a 2017 Pew Research survey, late-night TV, including SNL, was a main source of political news for young Americans. In that sense, Baldwin’s Trump was not just an impersonation—it was, for many people, their introduction to Trump.

Post-Trump Era: Still Haunted by His Shadow

Even after Trump left office, his presence lingered. SNL sometimes struggled to maintain its political edge during the Biden administration. The bite dulled, some complained, without Trump’s daily scandals to mock.

Despite this, however, the Trump era legacy is still embedded in SNL’s DNA. The show has continued to reference him, nodding to his enduring presence in American politics and media. And with the 2024 election cycle now well underway, it’s possible that the Trump-SNL dynamic is not so close to its end.

Conclusion: More Than Just a Laugh

The infinite drama between SNL Saturday Night Live and Donald Trump isn’t just comedy—it’s a reflection of America’s polarized culture, media obsession, and political angst. The show has been able to entertain and even infuriate its audience to think about leadership, morality, and public image.

Love him or hate him, no one can deny that Trump’s history with SNL is for the ages. It’s a bizarre pas de deux of spectacle and satire, where each nourishes the other in a never-ending loop of headlines and one-liners.

As the political scene continues to shift, one thing is certain: SNL Saturday Night Live will be ready with a cold open, a killer impersonation, and a reminder that sometimes, laughter really is the best political commentary.