SNL Skit Mocks Trump, Briefly References Minneapolis Shooting
Mike Myers returned as Elon Musk in SNL's Jan. 24 cold open, which briefly alluded to the Jan. 24 Minneapolis shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti.
Overview
Saturday Night Live aired a Jan. 24 cold open that staged a Trump 'awards' skit featuring James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump and Mike Myers as Elon Musk.
The sketch briefly alluded to the Jan. 24 fatal shooting of Alex Jeffrey Pretti by federal agents in Minneapolis, a case captured in numerous videos and marked by conflicting accounts between administration officials who called Pretti a "domestic terrorist" and critics who dispute that characterization.
Critics and some viewers criticized SNL for touching only briefly on the Minneapolis killing and prioritizing satire, according to social media posts and commentary from television critics.
The episode was the 11th of SNL's 51st season, marked Teyana Taylor's first time hosting, and included indie band Geese as musical guest, according to show listings.
SNL is slated to return on Jan. 31 with Alexander Skarsgård hosting and Cardi B as musical guest, as debate over federal agents' actions in Minneapolis continues to draw public scrutiny.
Analysis
Center-leaning sources cast SNL’s cold open as tone-deaf and politically partisan by using mocking/pejorative language (e.g., “puffed-up POTUS,” “sycophants”), foregrounding omissions (ignoring a Minneapolis shooting), and highlighting celebrity spectacle over solemn news. The coverage privileges critical interpretation and selective emphasis to underscore moral and political critique.