SNL 51 Cold Open: Will Ferrell's Ghost of Jeffrey Epstein Visits Trump

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Posted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: saturday night live, snl

SNL 51 Cold Open: Will Ferrell's Ghost of Jeffrey Epstein Visits Trump

During tonight's SNL 51 Cold Open, Donald Trump (James Austin Johnson) was paid a visit by the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein (Will Ferrell).

Published Sat, 16 May 2026 22:53:09 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Article Summary

  • SNL Season 51 cold open brings back James Austin Johnson’s Trump, joined by Jeremy Culhane’s JD Vance at the White House.
  • Will Ferrell steals the SNL sketch as Jeffrey Epstein’s ghost, waking Trump from a nap for a surreal reunion.
  • Epstein shows Trump the future, with Kristi Noem, Pete Hegseth, and Kash Patel mocked in classic SNL fashion.
  • The cold open ends with Trump and Epstein singing “Just the Two of Us,” capping a darkly absurd SNL finale sketch.

With NBC's Saturday Night Live wrapping up Season 51 tonight with host (and SNL icon) Will Ferrell and musical guest Sir Paul McCartney, who had the "honor" of being the topic of the final SNL Cold Open until the fall? Could we be looking at the return of James Austin Johnson's Donald Trump and/or Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth? Maybe Aziz Ansari's Kash Patel will be on hand to explain that special suba trip he took that hit the press this weekend? Could we see Ferrell getting in on things? The show opened at The White House, with Trump and Jeremy Culhane's VP, JD Vance, discussing his recent trip to China. Trump gives Vance a Chinese finger trap as a gift, what China gave him in exchange for Taiwan.

Image: NBC Screencap

From there, Trump takes a nap – only to be awakened by the ghost of Jeffrey Epstein (Ferrell), who's finding Heaven "really, really hot." The two compare their summer plans, with Trump referring to his UFC match at The White House as being "white trash" on "WorldStar." Epstein shares with Trump that he has the ability to look to the future, offering him a look at what some of his people are up to:

  • Kristi Noem (Ashley Padilla), now selling vacuum cleaners on television home shopping – and dropping passive-aggressive dog-killing and inflated boobs comments.
  • Pete Hegseth (Jost) and Kash Patel (Ansari), pretty much the same dudebros they were now – except their shilling even more merch.

Noticing Hegseth and Patel were partying, Trump assumed the Iran War was over. "It was. We came in second," Epstein responded. As the sketch neared its end, Trump and Epstein dueted on "Just the Two of Us," with Epstein reminding Trump that they will always be thought of as a pair.

"The Rundown" – Building the Perfect SNL Show

SNL has launched a new short-form digital original series called The Rundown, featuring memorable faces from SNL, including Dana Carvey, Mikey Day, Chloe Fineman, Colin Jost, Bowen Yang, Questlove, and more. Guests will stop by Studio 8H to select a favorite segment from the show's history to add to the iconic Rundown board, building an all-star episode along the way. Here's a look at the episodes released so far:

The SNL Season 51 cast includes Michael Che, Mikey Day, Andrew Dismukes, Chloe Fineman, Marcello Hernandez, James Austin Johnson, Colin Jost, Sarah Sherman, Kenan Thompson, and Bowen Yang, along with current featured players Ashley Padilla and Jane Wickline. Joining them are newcomers Ben Marshall, Tommy Brennan, Jeremy Culhane, Kam Patterson, and Veronika Slowikowska.

SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE — Season 51 Cast Shot — Pictured: (bottom row l-r) Veronika Slowikowska, Andrew Dismukes, Mikey Day, Bowen Yang, Marcello Hernández, Kenan Thompson, Jane Wickline, James Austin Johnson; (top row l-r) Jeremy Culhane, Ben Marshall, Sarah Sherman, Michael Che, Colin Jost, Chloe Fineman, Ashley Padilla, Tommy Brennan, Kam Patterson — (Photo by: Mary Ellen Matthews/NBC)

New writers for this season include actor-writer Jack Bensinger (Rap World), stand-up comedian Jo Sunday (Just for Laughs), comic Maddie Wiener (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), actor and writer Rachel Pegram (Harley Quinn), writer-comedian Claire McFadden (Second City), Maxwell Gay (The Harvard Lampoon), and Tucker Flodman (The Harvard Lampoon). NBC's Saturday Night Live premiered on Oct. 11, 1975, and broadcasts live from NBC's famed Studio 8H in New York City's Rockefeller Center. The program is a production of Broadway Video in association with SNL Studios. Lorne Michaels is the executive producer.

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