SNL skewers ‘future press secretary’ Nicki Minaj as Trump character admits ‘I might be gay’ - The Independent

Want to bookmark your favourite articles and stories to read or reference later? Start your Independent Membership today.

Saturday Night Live has taken on Donald Trump’s newfound fascination with men’s body parts in a sketch that also took aim at his alliance with Nicki Minaj.

After Tom Hanks surprised the audience in SNL’s latest cold open by returning as beloved character David S. Pumpkins, James Austin Johnson entered as Trump and went on to mock the president’s recent comments praising other men’s butts.

“A great ass on Hanks — something that I’ve enjoyed lately admiring,” Johnson said as Trump. “Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just that I might be gay.”

With a lot of ground to cover since the late-night sketch series last aired with Shane Gillis’ October 10 episode, the cold open then took on speculation that Trump will hire Minaj as his next press secretary after Katie Zacharia’s short-lived stint.

Johnson as Trump brought out SNL’s new cast member Saidah Belo-Osagie as the controversial rapper, introducing her as a potential next pick for the coveted job.

“Trump’s out here killing it — and by it, I mean my career,” Belo-Osagie, as Minaj said. Trump then remarked on Minaj’s famously curvy bottom, adding: “Perhaps if it was on a man, I could admire it.”

To close the segment, Trump then brought out Zacharia — played by Belo-Osagie’s fellow newcomer Veronika Slowikowska — to deliver the show’s signature line, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.”However, Slowikowska flubbed the attempt in character, and Hanks ended up delivering the line.

Later in the episode, Colin Jost poked more fun at Trump’s fixation on his colleagues’ bodies during his “Weekend Update” segment, saying: “Your party is about to lose the midterms. Stop playing ‘smash or pass’ with each other.”

The Halloween episode of SNL was hosted by Obsession star Inde Navarrette, with musical guest Gracie Abrams.

During her monologue, Navarrette made a subtle dig at SNL’s Shane Gillis controversy while speaking about her upcoming role as Rogue in X-Men.

While speaking about preparing for the role with physical training, Navarrette joked: “I know it’s really important for Marvel that you get really fit, so I've been working out a lot. So every morning I put on my little w**** outfit, and I hit the gym.”

The comment, which received a hearty round of applause, appeared to call out Gillis’ divisive opening monologue from earlier in the month, during which he delivered a bizarre commentary on women’s gym wear. His comments prompted backlash criticizing Gillis’s sexualization of women. The comedian has not responded to the backlash.