An in-depth review of Saturday Night Live’s comedic repertoire has highlighted a clear preference for lampooning conservatives. The iconic sketch show appears to frequently target right-wing figures with its satirical jabs.
According to a study by NewsBusters, a conservative media watchdog, shared with the New York Post, an overwhelming 91 percent of the jokes within the ‘Weekend Update’ segment were directed at conservative figures.
‘Weekend Update’ is a satirical news segment hosted by comedians Michael Che and Colin Jost, where the duo humorously critiques the week’s major headlines.
The analysis by NewsBusters of the first 19 episodes of the season reported 226 political jokes in total. Out of these, a mere 18 poked fun at Democrats and liberals, while three were neutral. Notably, former President Donald Trump was the subject of 101 jokes.
One controversial quip by Che hinted at the risk of assassinations, saying, “President Trump attended the opening night of ‘Chicago’ at the Kennedy Center, and I think that’s cool that the president is going to the theater. I mean, what’s the worst that could happen,” alluding to Abraham Lincoln’s assassination in a theater.
Following closely behind Trump, Secretary of Health and Human Services Robert F. Kennedy Jr. found himself the butt of 14 jokes, making him the second-most targeted individual.
Former Secretary of Homeland Security Kristi Noem was third with 12 jokes, conservative pundit Tucker Carlson was fourth with 11 jokes and disgraced Representative George Santos was fifth with 10 jokes, according to the study.
During SNL’s Cold Open, the opening sketch that parodies major political events, 82 percent of the characters featured mocked Republicans.
A new analysis has shown that Donald Trump has been the subject of a majority of jokes on SNL. Pictured above is cast member James Austin Johnson portraying the president in October
The study showed that liberal figures are less likely to be made fun of on SNL. PIctured above is comedian Ramy Youssef as Mayor Zohran Mamdani
A recent episode depicted a scene in the Oval Office with Mike Meyers as Elon Musk, Johnson as Trump, and Marcello Hernández as Marco Rubio
SNL stars portray exaggerated versions of the most popular political figures, from Colin Jost’s boozy frat-boy take on Pete Hegseth to Marcello Hernández’s passive Marco Rubio.
On the May 2 episode, comedian and actor Aziz Ansari guest-starred to portray FBI Director Kash Patel.
‘I’m a trailblazer. I’m the first Indian person to suck at their job,’ Ansari’s Patel said during a press conference sketch.
‘Everyone says Indian people are smart, hardworking, incredibly intelligent. I prove without a shadow of a doubt that we can be just as incapable and incompetent as the whites.’
Jost took the podium as Hegseth, pretending to give a press update on the war in Iran.
‘Now, listen up, dingbats, okay? As you might have seen on our sick a** TikTok, we’ve been bombing stuff, doing sick air raids. This war has been a movie, specifically the Never Ending Story,’ Jost’s Hegseth said.
In March, the cast imagined a scene in the Oval Office between Elon Musk, Rubio, and Trump after the New York Times reported a clash between the former Department of Government Efficiency Director and the Secretary of State.
The NewsBusters study found that the season’s first 19 shows included 226 political jokes, with only 18 targeting Democrats and liberals, while three were nonpartisan. Pictured above are Colin Jost and Michael Che on Weekend Update
Democrats have been left out of SNL’s jabs since Trump assumed office last year. Pictured above is Maya Rudolph and Kamala Harris during a sketch last November
During the sketch, Johnson’s Trump told Hernández’s Rubio that he needed him to be a ‘good little Marco.’
‘If you think I’m going to stand here and let you call me that,’ Hernández replied, ‘you’re right.’
The cast parodied Zohran Mamdani during a recent episode, with comedian Ramy Youssef stepping in as the New York City mayor.
Yousseff slicked down his hair and wore Mamdani’s signature suit, telling the audience: ‘I know some of you out there are scared about the idea of a young Muslim socialist mayor, so allow me to put you at ease by smiling after every answer in a way that physically hurts my face.’
Mamdani seemed flattered by the impression, later posting a video laughing at Youssef’s impression during a FaceTime call.
The analysis found that 82 percent of the characters featured in recent Cold Open sketches were Republican. Pictured above is cast member Ashley Padilla as White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt
Colin Jost has popularizied his frat-boy take on Secretary of War Pete Hegseth, pictured above
Comedian Aziz Ansari guest starred on an earlier episode this month to portray FBI Director Kash Patel, pictured above
SNL models their political content based on current events, so current administration officials are typically targeted.
During former President Joe Biden’s administration, cast member Mikey Day and Dana Carvey impersonated Biden.
Maya Rudolph also famously returned to the show to take on Kamala Harris throughout the 2024 presidential election.
Harris herself even guest-starred on SNL in a mirror sketch with Rudolph. Trump did a similar sketch with Jimmy Fallon on The Tonight Show in 2015.
The Daily Mail has reached out to NBC for comment on NewsBusters’ study.
