'SNL' Openly Celebrates Trump's COVID Diagnosis: 'My Heart Goes Out to COVID'
Less than three days after Trump’s COVID-19 diagnosis and precautionary hospitalization, NBC’s “Saturday Night Live” returned to a live studio audience Saturday night and jumped right into the real issues in the opening sketch, Chris Rock’s stand-up monologue and the “Weekend Update.”
The sketch featured Alec Baldwin as President Donald Trump and Jim Carrey as Democratic presidential nominee Joe Biden. It started with a voiceover that said:
“The following is a re-broadcast of Tuesday’s presidential debate. Even though Tuesday feels like 100 days ago. We thought it was important to see it again since it might be the only presidential debate.
“And it was pretty fun to watch. As long as you don’t live in America.”
The moderator, Fox News’ Chris Wallace was played by Beck Bennett, brought out Trump and Biden to begin the chaotic debate.
During the sketch, Trump calls the virus a hoax and continues to say, “that statement is something that will probably come back to haunt me later this week.”
After more back-and-forth and an appearance of Maya Rudolph playing Democratic vice presidential nominee Kamala Harris, Biden “pauses” Trump and steps out and asks talk to the American people.
“Is it going to be weird?” Wallace asks.
“Totally,” Biden replies before facing the camera. “America, look at me; look directly into my eyeballs.
“You can trust me because I believe in science and karma. Now just imagine if science and karma could somehow team up to send us all a message about how dangerous this virus can be,” Biden says before looking pointedly at the paused Trump.
“I’m not saying I want it to happen,” Biden says.
“Just imagine if it did,” he says thoughtfully as the audience claps and hollers.
Trump’s COVID diagnosis was referred to again in Chris Rock’s monologue when he mentioned all the testing the cast has been through.
“President Trump’s in the hospital from COVID, and I just want to say my heart goes out to COVID,” Rock said.
In the “Weekend Update” portion of “SNL,” starring Michael Che and Colin Jost, the hosts referred to the fast-paced news of Trump testing positive.
“A lot of people on either side are saying that there’s nothing funny about Trump being hospitalized with coronavirus, even though he mocked the safety precautions for the coronavirus,” Che said.
“And those people are obviously wrong,” he laughed. “There’s a lot funny about this. Maybe not from a moral standpoint, but mathematically, if you were constructing a joke, this is all the ingredients you need.
“The problem is it’s almost too funny — it’s so on the nose.
“I don’t want the president to die obviously,” Che continued with the bit. “In fact, I wish him a very lengthy recovery.”
Trump supporters had many things to say on Twitter about the show:
Here is what is amazing:
The fact (and yes, it is a fact) is that Trump behaved more civil to Ruth Bader Ginsburg and her loved ones when she died…than people like SNL are behaving now to Trump.
Our society is rotten at its core. https://t.co/iQ5mphkLeM
— Pradheep J. Shanker (@Neoavatara) October 4, 2020
SNL just celebrated Trump being stricken with coronavirus to a strong round of applause.
— Curtis Houck (@CurtisHouck) October 4, 2020
SNL laughing about Trump getting COVID is a new low.
Jim Carey: “Now just imagine if science and karma could somehow team up to send us all a message of how dangerous this virus can be. [stares at Trump] I’m not saying I want it to happen, but imagine if it did.”
Really awful.
— Josh Jordan (@NumbersMuncher) October 4, 2020
Sunday morning in a news conference, Dr. Brian Garibaldi, a pulmonologist, told reporters outside Walter Reed National National Medical Center that Trump could return to the White House on Monday.
“If he continues to look and feel as well as he does today, our hope is that we can plan for a discharge as early as tomorrow to the White House where he can continue his treatment course,” Garibaldi said.
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