SNL Weekend Update Trump midterm — Saturday Night Live’s Weekend Update did not hold back in its latest episode, using the platform to mock Donald Trump’s midterm defeats and his decision to install Stephen Miller as his next chief of staff. The segment, anchored by Colin Jost and Michael Che, framed the GOP’s poor showing as a rebuke the president is struggling to explain away.
Jost Takes Aim at Trump's Excuses
Jost opened by noting that the midterm results will leave Trump without Republican majorities in either chamber of Congress for the next two years. He then played a clip of the president telling reporters he had “tried hard” and “left it all on the field.” Jost extended the sports metaphor with a punchline about a failed concussion protocol, drawing laughter from the studio audience.
The co-anchor also needled Trump for deflecting blame onto candidate quality rather than accepting responsibility for the losses. Jost quipped that he was surprised the president couldn’t find any new, young talent, then displayed a of Trump alongside Jeffrey Epstein. The joke landed as one of the segment’s sharper jabs at the president’s political instincts.
Interior Decorating and Lame Duck Priorities
Jost continued by observing that Trump has taken a greater interest in interior decorating during this term, adding more gold to the Oval Office. He suggested the president could spend his lame duck period doing what he does best: embellishing the White House. The line fit the show’s broader theme of portraying Trump as increasingly detached from legislative realities.
Che Targets Mike Johnson's Future
Michael Che shifted the focus to House Speaker Mike Johnson, who has said he will not seek the GOP leadership role in the new Congress. Che joked that Johnson would return to his previous job of baking cookies in a tree, accompanying the line with an of Johnson’s face superimposed on a Keebler elf’s body. The visual gag underscored the show’s willingness to mix political commentary with absurd imagery.
Miller Promotion Draws Scorn
Jost then addressed Trump’s Friday decision to replace Susie Wiles with Stephen Miller as chief of staff. He criticized the move, comparing the transition from Wiles to Miller to trying to get through a dinner party by switching from wine to meth. The analogy drew a strong reaction and served as the segment’s closing critique of the president’s staffing choices.
Throughout the segment, Weekend Update maintained its signature balance of political satire and character-driven humor, using the midterm fallout as a springboard for jokes about leadership, loyalty, and the president’s post-election priorities. The show’s treatment of the Miller promotion suggested that the administration’s next chapter will remain a ripe target for late-night comedy.