Saturday Night Live mocked the recent Republican battle over Liz Cheney’s place within the party, calling her the GOP’s Rachel Dolezal in a game show sketch.
The sketch, called ‘Republican or Not,’ saw Kenan Thompson attempting to get two contestants to determine whether someone was a Republican based on random statements they made.
One person, played by cast member Kyle Mooney, stumped the contestants by saying he ‘hate[s] all cops.’ The contestants both said that he was a Republican.
‘Nope, he means these cops’ revealing a shot of the police officers at the January 6 Capitol riot.
A second contestant is then determined to be a Republican because she went to her school board to get a book banned. Again, it was a trick question.
‘That book? The Bible,’ said Thompson’s host.
Cecily Strong debuted an impression of Republican Congresswoman Liz Cheney on Saturday Night Live
Cast member Kenan Thompson hosted the ‘Republican or Not’ sketch
Host Simu Liu and cast member Ego Nwodim attempt to play the game
Then Cecily Strong appeared as the under fire Cheney and despite protesting that she was a Republican, Thompson’s host would not accept the answer.
‘The Wyoming Republican Party actually voted Cheney out of the party for opposing Donald Trump.’
‘But I am a Repbulican,’ Strong’s Cheney protested.
‘You might tell everybody that, but it’s not what other Republicans say. Like it or not, you are the Rachel Dolezal of the Republican Party.’
Thompson then joked that we will see Cheney on MSNBC ‘in about a week.’
Strong also held center stage in the show’s cold open, once again portraying Fox News host Judge Jeanine Pirro.
Strong also portrayed Judge Jeanine Pirro on Saturday’s show
Cast member Mikey Day was trotted out as Judge Bruce Schroeder
Alex Moffat took a turn as House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy
Strong’s Pirro was celebrating the acquittal of teenager Kyle Rittenhouse by calling him a ‘lovable scamp put through a nightmare of a trial just for doing the bravest thing any American can do: protecting an empty, used car lot in someone else’s town.’
Pirro then interviewed Judge Bruce Schroeder, portrayed by cast member Mikey Day.
The judge, who rankled liberals with his behavior during the trial, referred to Rittenhouse as his ‘client.’
Following an appearance from two liberal commentators, Pirro then heaped praise on House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy’s filibuster to attempt to stop the Build Back Better Act from passing.
The show cut to McCarthy, played by Alex Moffat, attempting to flip a water bottle in an attempt to kill time.
James Austin Johnson made his return to the show as former President Donald Trump
Johnson’s Trump rambled about several divergent subjects to wrap up the sketch
The show then brought back new cast member James Austin Johnson’s rambling impression of President Trump.
Johnson’s Trump – which has replaced the scandal-plagued Alec Baldwin – went on a rant that covered subjects as diverse as President Biden, his 2024 campaign and the reboot of Gossip Girl.
The impressionist then performed a second rant in which he went off on former ally Chris Christie’s appearance on Real Time with Bill Maher, before discussing singer Dua Lipa.
Strong’s Pirro then yelled, ‘That’s bingo, baby!’ at the end of the second Trump rant before bringing out the show’s ‘Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!’ catchphrase.
Saturday’s episode was hosted by Shang-Chi star Simu Liu and featured musical guest Saweetie.
SNL host Simu Liu and musical guest Saweetie pose with cast members Strong and Kyle Mooney
Though he appeared in multiple sketches, cast member Pete Davidson did not reference his burning new romance with Kim Kardashian, unlike his courtship of singer Arianna Grande.
On Thursday night, Pete’s Saturday Night Live co-stars commented on his new romance with Kim while at the American Museum of Natural History’s 2021 Museum Gala in New York City.
SNL star Chris Redd did not hold back his excitement as he said: ‘Pete and Kim? D**n, Pete. D**n! I hope they’re happy. They’re wearing matching outfits so I think they’re on their way. [At least] that’s what Instagram told me,’ he said to People.
Duo: Kim Kardashian and Pete Davison have confirmed their new relationship on Wednesday after being pictured holding hands. And on Thursday night, Pete’s Saturday Night Live co-stars commented on his new romance with Kim while at the American Museum of Natural History’s 2021 Museum Gala in New York City
Kenan Thompson said that Pete is like a ‘little brother’ to him.
Adding: ‘I mean, you’ve got to be happy for love, I guess. If it’s love! They look like they’re having a good time. I’m always happy when he’s happy.’
Fellow co-star Bowen Yang commented as well when asked by the outlet: ‘I don’t know what the nature of the friendship is, but it seems like they’re having a good time hanging out.’
Rumors of a possible romance were first sparked when the two kissed during an early October SNL skit as she played Princess Jasmine and he portrayed Aladdin, and while initial reports claimed they are just friends, fans believed something more significant was brewing.
Where it all started: Rumors of a possible romance were first sparked when the two kissed during an early October SNL skit as she played Princess Jasmine and he portrayed Aladdin, and while initial reports claimed they are just friends, fans believed something more significant was brewing
Twinning: Pete’s trousers are from Kim’s holiday collection of lounge wear, which they were both been seen wearing the day before in a Instagram photo of the pair posted by hip-hop legend Flavor Flav, at Kris’s compound (seen above)
Weeks later, she was spotted at Knott’s Berry Farm in Buena Park, California for the theme park’s annual Halloween event with a group of friends, including Pete, her sister Kourtney and Kourtney’s new fiancé, Travis Barker.
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