Saturday Night Live’s Latest Cold Open Turns Controversy into Comedy Gold
In its December 20, 2025 episode, Saturday Night Live (SNL) delivered one of its most pointed cold opens of the year, blending holiday season satire with sharp commentary on current political controversies.
Hosted by Ariana Grande, in what marked a bittersweet farewell for long-time cast member Bowen Yang, the show opened with a skit that took aim squarely at President Donald Trump and his administration’s handling of the recently released Jeffrey Epstein files.
SNL’s approach this season has underscored how late-night comedy continues to play a role in shaping public conversation around political scandals.
In the cold open, James Austin Johnson’s impersonation of Trump addressed the justice department’s partial release of the Epstein-related documents, a batch that was widely criticized for being heavily redacted and incomplete.
The sketch hinged on this surreal legal drama and turned it into laugh-inducing absurdity, but also offered commentary on transparency and accountability in government.
Mocking the Redactions
The crux of the sketch revolved around a massive stack of redacted documents. Trump, as played by Johnson, addresses the nation in a faux holiday address from the White House, assuring viewers that his administration is “completely transparent” despite the hundreds of pages blacked out or omitted.
In a classic SNL gag, the files contained little more than a handful of visible words––most notably, the phrase “Trump Didn’t Do Nothing Bad.”
With exaggerated bravado, Johnson’s Trump jokes that the government had to rename federal monuments and buildings after himself simply because they had to “put his name somewhere” after removing it from the files.
This over-the-top presidential ego became a recurring theme in the skit, showing how comedy can push satire to the edge and make biting cultural commentary feel accessible.
The visual gag of renaming iconic landmarks was no accident. It referenced real ongoing political conversations about presidential legacies and the broader American memory.
Although it was exaggerated for comedic effect, the satire tapped into deeper questions about how political leaders shape narratives and control historical perception.
The Epstein Files in the Spotlight
While comedy spun the controversy into absurdity, the underlying context of the sketch is rooted in real developments. The Justice Department’s release of Epstein-related files earlier in December drew significant public scrutiny.
Many of these documents, mandated for release under legislative transparency requirements, were marred by heavy redactions, prompting frustration among Epstein survivors and critics who saw the omissions as protective of powerful figures.
Notably, while the files included photos and mentions of various high-profile figures, documents containing references to President Trump were conspicuously removed from the released cache, intensifying speculation and criticism from Democrats and transparency advocates alike.
This real-world backdrop provided fertile ground for SNL’s satire. Comedians and writers often use the show’s rotating cast of characters and impersonators to amplify public grievances and institutional criticisms, and this episode was no different.
The heavy redactions and the politically charged atmosphere surrounding the Epstein files created an opening for satire that mixed humor with a sense of genuine political concern.
Weekend Update and Additional Jabs
The show didn’t stop at the cold open. Later in the episode’s Weekend Update segment, anchors Colin Jost and Michael Che hit political commentary from another angle, addressing ongoing controversy and poking fun at broad political narratives of the week.
Highlights from this segment included references to Trump’s rumored ties to Epstein and ridicule over his public communications.
In one memorable bit, Jost joked that Trump had become a figure who seemed to meet “famous pedophiles” everywhere he went, referencing public figures and controversies with a satirical edge. “He’s the Forrest Gump of meeting famous pedophiles,” Jost quipped, to uproarious laughter.
This kind of absurd humor is typical of late-night comedy’s approach to blending current affairs with entertainment.
SNL’s Satirical Reach
While critics of the show often argue that political satire can sometimes feel stuck in repetitive loops, Saturday Night Live continues to adapt its commentary to the news cycle, finding fresh angles to lampoon even the most complex scandals.
This episode’s cold open didn’t just tackle Epstein’s files — it also satirized perceived political distractions like the exaggerated “Patriot Games” and the holiday season theatrics that surround public messaging.
The result was a multi-layered comedy sketch that not only elicited laughs, but also captured the zeitgeist of a moment when political narratives, legal transparency, and public attention are all vying for supremacy.
SNL’s ability to weave together humor and contemporary commentary has ensured its place as a cultural barometer — one that has endured for more than five decades.
Audience and Cultural Impact
Saturday Night Live’s treatment of political figures has long been part of its brand identity. From George H.W. Bush to Bill Clinton, Barack Obama, and Donald Trump himself, the show has used satire to shape perceptions of public leaders.
This latest episode continues that tradition, blending topical humor with broader questions about leadership, transparency, and national priorities.
Social media reactions to the episode were swift, as clips and commentary circulated widely online, sparking debate and further commentary across platforms.
While some praised the show for its comedic boldness, others decried it as overly focused on Trump and repetitive in style — a reminder that political satire will always divide audiences even as it entertains them.
In summary, SNL’s recent cold open used exaggerated satire not only to lampoon political figures and controversies but also to engage in broader cultural conversations about transparency, accountability, and how comedy can interrogate the serious issues of our time.
Whether viewed strictly as entertainment or as social commentary, the sketch highlighted how comedy continues to play a role in shaping public engagement with current events.
Leave a Reply