‘Saturday Night Live’ came back strong this past weekend with Karoline Leavitt in the spotlight. The show crafted a skit that closely followed her real-life moments during White House briefings. Ashley Padilla took on her role, nailing Karoline’s anxious energy and composed manner, all set in a familiar press room backdrop.
From the opening moments, it was obvious: the writers were lampooning her recent interactions with the media.
The skit played out in entertaining detail. Padilla’s Karoline addressed the room, exuding practiced confidence while insisting that there was nothing out of the ordinary during the week—this in a press room buzzing with tension as reporters grabbed their chance to challenge her phrases. The build-up really echoed her genuine experiences during real briefings, making it relatable for everyone tuning in.
.
What followed was a series of pointed exchanges, particularly aimed at her friction with CNN’s Kaitlan Collins.
“I’ll start with you, Kaitlan Collins from CNN—who I totally despise,” she begins, kicking off the key moment of the sketch. Collins, played perfectly by Chloe Fineman, didn’t waste a second in firing back, asking about those infamous 20,000 emails linked to Epstein.
With a certain flair, Karoline quipped, “You know you suck, right? The only thing these emails show is that President Trump did nothing wrong—if he committed a crime, it was loving a bit too much. And perhaps too young.”
The skit creatively showcased how she’s been tackling questions regarding Trump’s ties to the email situation.
As the sketch progressed, it included more loaded inquiries, like Trump urging the DOJ to look into Democrats’ Epstein connections and whether the administration sold money to Argentina.
Karoline shifted her answers back to earlier talking points time after time, but when someone mentioned Argentina, she shot back, “Let’s get back to Epstein!”
Viewers took to social media right after the skit aired.
One user predicted, “Just wait for Trump to call for SNL to be canceled.”
Another called it a stellar sketch, noting, “This might be one of the best! Kudos to SNL!”
A third person applauded the spot-on impressions, saying, “This has to be one of SNL’s finest openings in years. The guy imitating Trump was spot on!”
Another user picked up on a staging quirk: “I thought the cross would get bigger every time they cut away from Ashley.”
Yet another pointed out, “Pure genius. Trump is any comedy writer’s dream; all it takes is to speak the truth for comedy to happen.”
‘SNL’ then brought James Austin Johnson as Trump, who wasted no time in answering questions. He dismissed the inquiry regarding Epstein, all while referencing “the thousands of pictures of us hanging out, partying, and dancing.”
This portrayal really captured Trump’s tendency to steer conversations his way, which has become synonymous with his public appearances.
This ties back to the show’s legacy of embedding political figures in their pieces. Sure, not all sketches poking fun at Trump have hit the mark, like the one with Dave Chappelle in the SNL season opener that had a heartfelt note: “Remember, whatever people think of you, they all need you. Please just remember to be human.”
In wrapping it all up, the interplay between the sketch’s humor and the real events actually highlighted Karoline’s reliance on Trump, making for both an entertaining and thought-provoking night.
Karoline Leavitt Breaks Down in SNL Sketch Over Trump-Epstein Queries
