In a bold and controversial move, “Saturday Night Live” (SNL) recently aired an Easter-themed sketch that drew a striking comparison between former President Donald Trump and Jesus Christ. The sketch, titled “Donald Jesus Trump,” used humor to criticize Trump’s economic policies, particularly his handling of tariffs and their impact on the economy.
The cold open began with a reenactment of a biblical scene from the Gospel of Matthew, where Jesus drives out the money changers from the temple. Cast member Mikey Day portrayed Jesus, declaring, “This will not stand. I will rid this place of all its money.” This set the stage for James Austin Johnson’s entrance as Trump, who quipped, “Remind you of anyone? I also got rid of money last week, but instead of one temple, I did a whole country. Maybe even the globe. The money’s gone.”
Johnson’s Trump then introduced himself as “Donald Jesus Trump,” making light of his economic policies and their consequences. He stated, “You know, many people are even calling me the Messiah because of the mess I, uh, made out of the economy—all because of my beautiful tariffs. They were working so well I had to stop them.” This line highlighted the recent turmoil in the stock market caused by Trump’s tariff decisions.
The sketch continued to poke fun at the stock market’s volatility, with Trump saying, “It’s true, the stock market did a Jesus. It died, then on the third day, it was risen. And then on the fourth day, it died again, possibly never to return, just like Jesus.” This analogy underscored the unpredictable nature of the market in response to Trump’s policies.
In addition to economic criticism, the sketch also targeted Trump’s inconsistent approach to religion. Trump joked about people only attending church on Christmas and Easter, saying, “It’s sad. Some people only go to church on Christmas and Easter. Not me, I don’t go on those days either.” This comment added a layer of satire to the sketch, highlighting the perceived hypocrisy in religious observance.
The sketch concluded with Trump promoting a “Trump Bible,” which he claimed was now made in America and cost $1,300, but “falls apart even faster.” This final joke underscored the theme of mixing religion with commerce, a concept that Trump’s character dismissed as a bad idea.
Overall, SNL’s “Donald Jesus Trump” sketch used humor to critique the former president’s economic policies and his inconsistent approach to faith. By drawing parallels between Trump and Jesus, the sketch aimed to highlight the absurdity and consequences of certain political decisions. While the humor was sharp and biting, it also sparked conversations about the role of satire in political commentary.
