Saturday Night Live opened its 51st season by lampooning President Donald Trump’s alleged crackdown on late-night comedy. SNL also spoofed the suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! and mocked Trump’s appearance and foreign policy claims.

Saturday Night Live featured James Austin Johnson as Trump declaring that “late-night TV” was the “greatest threat to freedom,” warning SNL that “Daddy’s watching.”

The Saturday Night Live (SNL) Season 51 premiere, aired on October 4, wasted no time addressing the recent political saga involving the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! The cold open framed the incident as a crackdown on late-night comedy by President Donald Trump.

“Daddy’s Watching”

The SNL sketch began with Colin Jost, in a rare sketch appearance, playing a stiff and enraged Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, who was demanding that members of the military lose weight. Hegseth declared the nation was facing the “greatest threat to freedom and democracy the world has ever known,” only to be interrupted by James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump, who declared the true threat was “late-night TV.”

Johnson’s Trump character appeared to monitor the show and specifically warned SNL: “I’m just here keeping my eye on SNL, making sure they don’t do anything too mean about me… They’d better be careful.” The segment culminated with Trump stressing, “Daddy’s watching!”

Controversies parodied

The Jimmy Kimmel Suspension: The skit directly lampooned the temporary suspension of Jimmy Kimmel Live! which occurred after FCC Chairman Brendan Carr reportedly pressured ABC over comments Kimmel made. The sketch featured Mikey Day entering as FCC Chairman Brendan Carr, set to the tune of “Somebody’s Watching Me,” signifying Carr as Trump’s “attack dog at the FCC.” The monologue specifically noted that Carr was also investigating a separate complaint over Jimmy Kimmel Live!’s decision to feature Kamala Harris in a cameo before the last election.

Trump’s physical appearance: Johnson’s Trump character referenced his known penchant for self-tanner or mismatched makeup. He held up the back of his hand, showing an area with “strange discoloring,” and joked, “Not looking great right now. Gonna cover this up for the rest of my life.”

Foreign policy: The sketch mocked Trump’s contradictory claims regarding military action: “I ended all the wars. Every single one of them, except the two main ones that are still happening and more vicious than ever,” adding that the administration was “starting a new war in Venezuela soon,” despite a supposed government shutdown.

The political controversy was reinforced later during the “Weekend Update” segment with the debut of new cast member, Kam Patterson. Patterson joked about wanting to use a racial slur on air, but was warned by co-host Colin Jost that the FCC would fine the show. Patterson responded, “This is exactly what Jimmy Kimmel fought for!”