The final “Saturday Night Live” cold open before the 2026 midterm elections mocked President Donald Trump’s penchant for commenting on men’s physical appearances and suggested rap artist Nicki Minaj had tanked her career by joining the president last month on the campaign trail.
In the skit, Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, compliments Tom Hanks’ backside. Johnson’s Trump also speculates at one point that he may have “gay dementia.”
The sketch starts with Jeremy Culhane and Grace Reiter taking a spooky mausoleum ride led by Kenan Thompson. It features typical frights, such as a headless Lizzie Borden. Then David S. Pumpkins, played by Tom Hanks, appears with Bobby Moynihan and Mikey Day in reprised roles as dancing skeleton B-boys.
SNL’s traditional Halloween sketch featuring David S. Pumpkins debuted on Oct. 22, 2016, partly inspired by a viral dance clip set to “Holiday Rap.” Hanks has now played the role five times.
Culhane asks Pumpkins, “Why are you on this ride?”
Hanks replies, “Two words.” Then Johnson, as Trump, interrupts the attraction. “Midterms, boo!” he says. “Boo! It’s me, Donald Trump, your one true God.”
The most politically substantive part of the sketch is about the Senate election in Texas. “They’re saying Texas is turning purple, just like my hand,” the fictional Trump says. He mentions bruising on his right hand and new polls showing Democrats poised to possibly secure their first statewide win in the state since 1994.
Johnson’s Trump remarks that James Talarico, the Democratic Senate nominee in Texas, is better-looking than he is.
Saidah Belo-Osagie plays Minaj, a Trump ally who joined him at a rally in Michigan last week.
“I’m out here killing it,” she remarks in the skit. “And by ‘it,’ I mean my career.”
Trump’s short-lived press secretary Katie Zacharia, played by Veronika Slowikowska, shows up and is given an opportunity to redeem herself by delivering the famous SNL opening line. She bungles it. David S. Pumpkins and the skeletons take over: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
Host Indie Navarrette takes shot at Shane Gillis
Indie Navarrette hosted SNL for the first time. She starred in the horror film “Obsession” and will join the Marvel universe as Rogue in the upcoming X-Men movie. During her monologue, she jokes about preparing for the Marvel movie: “Every morning I put on my little whore outfit and I hit the gym.”
Previous host Shane Gillis had made a controversial joke about women’s gym attire. Gillis’s remarks drew criticism from several celebrities, including former SNL cast members Ego Nwodim and Cecily Strong. Navarrette’s swipe drew applause from the audience.
The rest of the episode is full of absurd and spooky sketches about penis-destroying robots, “Paw Patrol” reimagined as “Law & Order: Special Victims Unit,” and Delta Disruptive, “a new section of the plane exclusively for crazy people.” Gracie Abrams performs live in between, with two songs from her latest studio album, “Daughter From Hell.”
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