SNL Mocks Trump: Venezuela Kidnapping and Minneapolis Protests in Hilarious Cold Open

Saturday Night Live returned to TV on January 17 with its first new episode of 2026. The show kicked off with a cold open that took aim at recent political events and headlines. James Austin Johnson appeared as Donald Trump, giving viewers a humorous recap of what happened while the show was on break.

“I hope everyone had a nice holiday and got what they wanted for Christmas,” Johnson said. “I got what I wanted: My very own someone else’s Nobel Prize, which I’ll cherish! And in my stocking I got Maduro. Nicolás Maduro! We did a reverse Santa on him. We came down the chimney with a bag and took him away.”

Colin Jost joined the sketch as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth, joking about the U.S. involvement in Venezuela. “We went in, straight up stole their president,” he said, adding that the country would target Iran next because “you don’t dare kill your protesters. That’s our thing!”

The cold open also addressed tensions in Minneapolis following the fatal shooting of Renee Nicole Good by an ICE agent. Ashley Padilla played Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem and added some humor while discussing the situation.

“Before we start, I’d like to give a quick shoutout to my hair and makeup team, who absolutely hate me,” she said. “Now, obviously, there’s been clashes on both sides in Minneapolis, and have we been perfect? Yes.” She continued, “Just know, you can always count on me, because my last name is Noem, as in, do I have the situation under control? Noem, I don’t.”

The sketch also included a few short jokes about other Trump news, such as reading a note from Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and ended with Johnson’s Trump casually announcing, “Also, midterms are canceled!”

Finn Wolfhard hosted the episode, with A$AP Rocky as the musical guest. This marked Wolfhard’s first time hosting, shortly after the conclusion of his Netflix series Stranger Things. Rocky also recently released his latest album, Don’t Be Dumb.

The previous SNL episode aired on December 20 and was hosted by Ariana Grande with Cher performing. That show also marked the farewell of longtime cast member Bowen Yang, who said goodbye in a sketch as an airport worker.

Wolfhard’s episode kicked off a three-week run of new shows. Next week, Teyana Taylor will host for the first time with the band Geese performing. Taylor recently earned a Golden Globe for best supporting actress for her role in One Battle After Another. Alexander Skarsgård will host the following week on January 31, with Cardi B as the musical guest.

SNL continues to do a good job blending humor with real-world events. The way they tackle current news, even sensitive topics, keeps the show fresh and relevant. I’m curious what you think about this approach. Do you enjoy when SNL mixes politics with comedy, or do you think they go too far? Share your thoughts in the comments.