Overview
- Saturday night’s cold open began with Tom Hanks reprising his David S. Pumpkins character before James Austin Johnson’s impersonation of President Trump crashed the sketch and took over the stage.
- Johnson’s Trump mocked polling, made risqué jokes about the president’s recent on‑the‑trail remarks, and explicitly urged viewers to vote for Republican Ken Paxton over Democrat James Talarico in Texas.
- The sketch worked in ensemble cameos and parodies, including Saidah Belo‑Osagie as a spoofed Nicki Minaj, surprise appearances by Bobby Moynihan and Kenan Thompson, and a brief portrayal of Katie Zacharia that fumbled SNL’s opening line.
- David S. Pumpkins is a recurring SNL character first seen in 2016 and Hanks’s return provided a nostalgic anchor while Johnson continued his role as the show’s recurring Trump impersonator; the Zacharia bit referenced her real‑world, short‑lived tenure as press secretary.
- By blending a high‑profile celebrity cameo with direct election messaging just before the Nov. 3 midterms, the cold open mixed pop culture nostalgia with pointed political satire that could shape viewer impressions of the Texas race and the president’s recent rally behavior.