Saturday Night Live (SNL) took aim at rising tensions with Iran in its latest cold open, featuring a satirical portrayal of former US President Donald Trump celebrating failed negotiations.
The sketch aired shortly after US Vice President JD Vance announced that lengthy talks with Iran had ended without an agreement. In response, the show imagined Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, brushing off diplomacy and expressing enthusiasm for renewed military action.
Speaking over the phone with Defence Secretary Pete Hegseth, portrayed by Colin Jost, Trump joked about sending Vance as a “secret weapon” to derail talks, suggesting the negotiations had gone so badly that bombing seemed preferable.
The segment also included a series of comedic phone calls, with Trump speaking to figures including Tiger Woods and First Lady Melania Trump. The exchanges highlighted the show’s signature blend of political satire and absurd humour, with exaggerated references to real-life controversies and public statements.
Earlier in the sketch, Trump was shown dictating a provocative social media post to press secretary Karoline Leavitt, played by Ashley Padilla, further amplifying the comedic take on his rhetoric.
The cold open concluded with Trump appearing to lose track of his priorities before abruptly remembering “the war”, underscoring the sketch’s critique of political decision-making.
