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SNL Cold Open Targets Trump's 'Patriot Games' and Epstein File Redactions

James Austin Johnson channels Trump in a holiday address riffing on new Epstein document disclosures.

Overview

  • The Dec. 20 cold open featured Johnson’s Trump delivering a holiday message from a White House set.
  • He promoted a White House "Patriot Games" for elite high school athletes, presented as a diversion from the Epstein files.
  • The sketch mocked the documents’ heavy blackouts with an on-screen redaction gag forming a self-flattering message.
  • He joked about slapping his name on institutions, saying the Kennedy Center would be renamed the Trump Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.
  • The segment riffed on recent TV appearances and economic claims, and SNL posted the clip from its official account.