SNL Cold Open: Trump Talks Epstein Files/Iran, Hegseth Goes Dudebro
· BCPosted in: NBC, Peacock, TV | Tagged: saturday night live, snl
SNL Cold Open: Trump Talks Epstein Files/Iran, Hegseth Goes Dudebro
SNL Cold Open: Trump (James Austin Johnson) connects the dots between Iran and Epstein Files; Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) goes dudebro again.
Published Sat, 14 Mar 2026 22:56:07 -0500
by Ray Flook
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Last updated Sat, 14 Mar 2026 23:09:15 -0500
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With Harry Styles taking to the stages of Studio 8H for tonight's edition of NBC's Saturday Night Live Season 51, it appears this might be the final show before a break. If that's the case, it will be interesting to see what tonight's SNL Cold Open tackles. The opener begins at a gas station, with Mikey Day, Sarah Sherman, Ashley Padilla, and Marcello Hernandez as a family having an existential crisis over filling up their gas tank – possibly needing to give one of them away. When Hernandez asks why gas is so high, Trump (James Austin Johnson) enters the scene with "Epstein Files" and takes over. Trump goes on a rant about how the Epstein Files led to the war in Iran, and how a promise is a lie that hasn't happened yet. At one point, Johnson gets a shot in on Hernandez for still playing kid roles and Padilla for having a Latino last name but being painfully white. Keep a listen for some great digs at Jake Paul and Timothée Chalamet, too.
And then, from inside a car, Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) enters the scene – first, to make sure to thank Trump for his Florsheim shoes. After letting us know that he's going to wander around, Hegseth declares that we've won the war and that "gaybies" ("gay babies") in the media aren't American enough. As for the Port of Hormuz, Hegseth wanted it known that it's clear for travel, despite what the media says – except for those mines that Iran laid out. But he suggested that the tanker pilots do what he used to do at drunk driving checkpoints: blow right through them.
NBC's Saturday Night Live is the most Emmy-winning show in history and holds 113 Emmy wins (including awards for its specials and short-form series). SNL has been honored four times with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award and was inducted into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame. The show continues to garner the highest ratings and largest audience of any late-night television program, entertaining millions each week on linear and digital platforms.
Since its inception in 1975, SNL has launched the careers of many of the brightest comedy performers of their generation. SNL makes headlines with topical humor reflecting politics and current events, features an array of characters with a perspective on pop culture that remains unparalleled, and offers sharp political commentary through its signature "Weekend Update" segment. A variety show that is truly one of a kind, SNL also attracts the biggest stars of music to its stage for innovative viral performances.
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.
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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