SNL mocks Trump’s Center East journey and $400 million Qatari jet controversy

[ad_1] " Saturday Night Live " lampooned President Donald Trump’s current Center East journey in its season finale, trivializing what the administration billed as a significant international coverage reset.

The chilly open featured James Austin Johnson as an exaggerated Trump alongside a fictionalized Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman . The sketch recommended an unlikely bromance.

"We’re collectively now, kidding, in fact, however we're vibing," Johnson’s Trump quipped, as if describing a brand new romance.

"I, in fact, am an enormous fan of all the pieces that Saudi Arabia has to supply, from the oil to the cash. To – finish of checklist," he added.

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U.S. President Donald Trump meets with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman throughout a "espresso ceremony" on the Saudi Royal Court docket on Might 13, 2025, in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. (Getty Photographs)

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In actuality, Trump returned to Washington touting three major investment deals value billions of {dollars} from Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates and Qatar, commitments he stated would bolster the U.S. financial system.

SNL’s Trump implied his motives weren't so patriotic.

"I didn’t make this journey for myself. I wish to make that clear. I did this for the American individuals. And, in some ways, myself, my private enrichment. I did that too. I did very properly on this journey," he bragged.

The present additionally capitalized on the controversy over a gifted $400 million jet from Qatar to the US, a matter now below House Democrats’ scrutiny.

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"The Qataris gave me a $400 million aircraft. Are you able to imagine that? And other people stated that was some form of bribe," the pretend president deadpanned. "Not true, not true, as a result of they haven’t requested for something in return. Properly, not but. Alright, so it’s a pre-bribe."

The actual Trump defended accepting the jet in an interview Friday with Fox Information chief political anchor Bret Baier , calling it "a great deal" and noting delays in Boeing’s new Air Force One project .

SNL then mocked Boeing’s current security scares and the nation’s growing older air-traffic-control system. Johnson’s Trump complained that he most well-liked the Qatari jet over an American aircraft.

"Have you ever seen what’s taking place with our planes? The radar is down and the display screen is clean -- Newark," he stated, referring to to a minimum of three tools outages at Newark Liberty International in current weeks.

A second section within the episode, led by host Scarlett Johansson and musical visitor Dangerous Bunny, additionally made gentle of Newark's radar failures, turning the problem right into a comedic rap a few nerve-wracking touchdown and pilots being minimize off from the management tower.

<img src="https://a57.foxnews.com/static.foxnews.com/foxnews.com/content/uploads/2025/05/1200/675/gettyimages-2203566817-scaled.jpg?ve=1&tl=1" alt="SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 1878 -- Pictured: (l-r) James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump and Marcello Hernández as Marco Rubio during the "Trump Musk Rubio" Cold Open on Saturday, March 8, 2025 -- (Photo by: Will Heath/NBC via Getty Images)" width="1200" height="675"/> SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE -- Episode 1878 -- Pictured: (L-R) James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump and Marcello Hernández as Marco Rubio in the course of the "Trump Musk Rubio" Chilly Open on Saturday, March 8, 2025. (Will Heath/NBC through Getty Photographs)

The opening Trump sketch wound down with the present’s typical jabs on the president and his continued every day media presence.

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"Since it is a finale, which means after tonight, you will not be seeing me right here for some time. Properly, not the pretend, enjoyable model of me that makes you smile. The actual one will nonetheless be omnipresent. You'll be able to't escape me, proper? I am in all places."

Earlier than signing off for its summer time hiatus, the fictionalized model of Trump quipped, "See you once more within the fall, if we nonetheless have a rustic."