SNL skewers Trump’s cabinet picks: “alien versus predator” meets MAGA governance

In a biting cold open this weekend, Saturday Night Live once again took aim at President-elect Donald Trump, mocking his controversial Cabinet and staff selections with a satirical “transition meeting” at the White House. The skit, featuring SNL staples James Austin Johnson as Trump and Dana Carvey as President Joe Biden, portrayed Trump assembling a team of "the most dynamic, free-thinking, animal-killing, sexually criminal, medically crazy people in the country." The parody didn’t hold back, skewering Trump’s real-life picks, including: Matt Gaetz for Attorney General, a choice steeped in controversy due to past allegations of sexual misconduct and drug use. Robert F. Kennedy Jr. as Health Secretary, whose anti-vaccine rhetoric has drawn widespread backlash. Kristi Noem to lead the Department of Homeland Security, infamous for a bizarre anecdote about shooting her own dog. Elon Musk, tapped to run the new Department of Government Efficiency, tasked with slashing the federal budget by a staggering $2 trillion. "Alien Versus Predator" and a Dash of Polio The writers leaned into absurdity, casting Trump’s picks as characters out of a dystopian reality show. Trump’s skit counterpart gleefully described his team as "Elon and Matt Gaetz: that's an Alien versus Predator," a sardonic nod to the polarizing nature of these figures. Adding to the chaos, he noted, “Kristi Noem and RFK Junior—they’re killing the dogs, they’re killing the bears,” before revealing that Melania Trump would be “working remotely from divorce.” The comedic punches didn’t stop there. Sarah Sherman’s Gaetz sauntered into the scene in a flamboyant costume poking fun at his public image. When asked why he resigned from Congress, Sherman-as-Gaetz quipped, “Girls’ volleyball season,” a jab at past allegations that have dogged the real-life Gaetz. Alec Baldwin, in his SNL return, played RFK Jr., the faux health secretary who proclaimed his dedication to “a woman’s right to choose—to give her child polio.” SNL’s Longstanding Feud with Trump This latest cold open continues a nearly decade-long SNL tradition of lampooning Donald Trump. From Alec Baldwin’s infamous impression during the 2016 campaign to the recent jabs at Trump’s viral dance moves, the show has made the former president a staple of its comedic repertoire. Trump, true to form, has not taken the criticism lightly. In 2022, he blasted the program on Truth Social as “not funny or smart” with “low ratings.” Yet, the viral success of the sketches suggests otherwise, with the latest clip racking up over 185,000 views on social media by Sunday morning. Comedy as Commentary Beyond the laughs, SNL’s cold open reflects a deeper critique of Trump’s governance style, which critics argue prioritizes loyalty and spectacle over competence. Appointing polarizing figures with contentious pasts to key positions—like RFK Jr., a vocal vaccine skeptic, to lead the Department of Health and Human Services—highlights the ongoing tension between Trump’s unconventional leadership and the weighty demands of public office. By amplifying these incongruities, SNL taps into public anxieties about the direction of Trump’s administration while offering a moment of catharsis through humor. In today’s political climate, where satire often feels indistinguishable from reality, the line between critique and entertainment continues to blur.