Last night’s Saturday Night Live cold open featured an unexpected cameo when Lin-Manuel Miranda joined the cast during a skit set at the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The cast, dressed in 1700s attire, recreated the historic moment with a twist: Miranda, donning his iconic Hamilton costume, appeared onstage to thunderous applause.
Rising from a corner, Miranda delivered a powerful line: “I say our lives not matter not if we lose it in the cause of liberty. What matters is the nation we built! Because in America all men are created equal!” He followed it with an emphatic declaration: “In America, we will never have a king!”
At that moment, James Austin Johnson, portraying Donald Trump, walked onstage with an exaggerated grin. “Never say never! I’m in my king era,” Johnson quipped.
The scene took a satirical turn as Johnson’s Trump announced his own vision for a “new country.” Comparing his efforts to the founding fathers, he added, “And just like them, we’re doing it very white-ly. Workplaces must go back to looking like the TV show ‘The Office.’ Mostly white people but with one funny Black guy who’s having a really bad time. We’re bringing back Stanley culture.”
The backdrop froze, leaving Miranda motionless while Johnson continued his monologue. “Look at Lin. He got tricked into coming here; now he’s frozen standing here. Now I’m back at the White House. Everything’s back the way it was,” he said. Johnson-as-Trump then shifted focus to his son Barron, calling him “my new favorite son” and joking about his height causing him to hit his head on everything. Reflecting on his inauguration, he described it as “a tremendous success” held indoors “due to cold and fear.”
Johnson’s Trump also name-dropped his “billionaire buddies,” including “Zuck, Bezos, and of course, Elon.” He humorously referenced Elon Musk’s controversial reputation: “We love Elon, but to quote some of his own children, ‘I do not want him in my life.’”
Defending a widely criticized gesture, Johnson joked, “They say he did the Nazi salute. Not true! He simply was creating a new greeting that was a cross between ‘hi’ and ‘hello.’” He also expressed his take on gender roles: “We’re going back to common sense in regard to gender. No more makeup on men, unless you need it to be president.”
The sketch also mocked Trump’s pick for Secretary of Defense, Pete Hegseth. Johnson joked, “We’re filling my cabinet with some of the best people. They’re all very good except for most of them. How great is Pete Hegseth? He said he’s going to stop drinking if he got the job, and that’s all I needed to hear!”
As Johnson riffed on the price of eggs, he quipped, “Who would’ve thought it would’ve been easier to get a cease-fire in Gaza than lower the price of eggs?” He also sarcastically thanked Miranda for a supposed donation: “I want to thank Lin for his generous one-million-dollar donation to my campaign. I know that was him.”
“No, it was not!” Miranda shouted, finally breaking free from the frozen tableau. Standing beside Johnson, the two closed the scene with the iconic line: “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
You can watch the full skit above.
Timothée Chalamet pulled double duty as host and musical guest, with Adam Sandler making a surprise appearance to introduce him. Chalamet sang a trio of Bob Dylan songs from the film A Complete Unknown, which you can watch below.
