President Donald Trump and numerous high-ranking officials were raked over the coals in a punishing Saturday Night Live cold open.

Saturday Night Live returned from its winter break and rang in the new year with what’s quickly become a familiar tradition now that Donald Trump is president again: letting James Austin Johnson suit up as Trump and riff on the absurd — and often deeply troubling — actions coming out of the White House since the show last aired.

Saturday Night Live wasted no time diving back into the political deep end.

The first SNL Cold Open for 2026: Jeremy Culhane's VP JD Vance, Ashley Padilla's Kristi Noem, Trump canceling the 2026 midterms, and more.

Colin Jost once again starred in a Saturday Night Live cold open this week, reprising his role as Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth. Jost’s performance largely made fun of Hegseth’s bravado over the Trump administration’s invasion of Venezuela earlier this month,

Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth joined James Austin Johnson's President Trump for a jam-packed cabinet meeting in tonight's "SNL" cold open.

A new episode of Saturday Night Live airs tonight, January 17, 2026. Here’s the confirmed schedule, host, musical guest, and where to watch live or stream.

Saturday Night Live returned for the first time in 2026 this weekend, with Stranger Things star Finn Wolfhard hosting and A$AP Rocky as the musical guest. It was the 998th episode of the sketch comedy show, with actor Alexander Skarsgård slated to host the monumental 1000th episode on January 31 alongside musical guest Cardi B.