SNL Cold Open Skewers Trump and Pete Hegseth Over Iran Strikes

Very early on Saturday morning, February 28, the United States and Israel launched what President Donald Trump called "major combat operations" in Iran, issuing military strikes. The move surprised many Americans — including the writers at Saturday Night Live — and was the focus of the cold open on Connor Storrie's episode, with James Austin Johnson portraying Trump.

Johnson's Trump explained the timing as having "two advantages militarily." "One, it's after the stock market closes for the weekend. And, two, it's to cause immeasurable fear, rage, and chaos in the SNL writers' room," he said, mocking a scrapped State of the Union-style sketch and referencing Jeremy Culhane's light show being tossed aside.

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