James Austin Johnson, a familiar face from Saturday Night Live, recently opened up about the complexities of transforming into Donald Trump for the iconic comedy show. The actor candidly admitted that embodying the former president is not without its challenges, revealing that he finds the character somewhat intimidating.
Joining the SNL cast in its 47th season back in 2021, Johnson quickly made a name for himself with his spot-on impersonations of political heavyweights like former President Joe Biden and Trump. His talent for capturing Trump’s distinctive voice and mannerisms has earned him recognition, taking over the role that Alec Baldwin famously portrayed during his time on the show.
Johnson shared these insights during a buzzing panel discussion at the Tribeca Film Festival. The event coincided with the premiere of “Playing POTUS,” a documentary that delves into the art of presidential impersonation. As reported by Deadline, the film, under the direction of Josh Greenbaum, explores this comedic tradition through the lens of various SNL performers who have tackled these notable roles.
“Playing POTUS” showcases the journey and artistry behind these portrayals, highlighting the skill required to bring such influential personalities to life on screen. According to the film’s online summary, it offers a glimpse into the world of presidential parody, featuring insights from both current and former SNL comedians.
Discussing his process, Johnson explained that while performing as Trump, he often improvises, striving to balance authenticity with restraint, especially in the live setting. He aims to keep the character’s signature rambling under control, ensuring the performance remains sharp and engaging for audiences.
After getting into character as Trump on stage, Johnson said he tends to improvise his impression on the live show, but tries to keep the rambling to a minimum.
‘It wouldn’t feel like Trump if there wasn’t this queasy feeling in the audience of, “What is he going to say? Is he going to say something crazy?”,’ he said to the audience.
‘So I have to improvise for the character, to kind of come alive, so I’m throwing in stuff.’
Saturday Night Live comedian James Austin Johnson revealed how he prepares to play President Donald Trump and what he fears about his role
He spoke of his experience during a recent five-person panel at the Tribeca Film Festival, which featured the premiere of the new documentary Playing POTUS
When asked if he ever worries about backlash from Trump – whom he calls a ‘crazy person’ – the comedian admitted that he does.
‘Am I fearful of the crazy person who wields the military and all that stuff all the time, that seems to target individuals? Yeah,’ he replied.
Johnson also noted that he thinks Trump is still unsatisfied with how Baldwin portrayed him years ago, as he often said that the actor’s impression of him ‘stinks’ and is ‘not funny.’
Johnson continued: ‘I’m doing a version of [Trump] that I feel is sustainable, because I do think that there is a little bit of a game of Operation that all of comedy is playing right now.
‘And I just don’t think we’ve seen a president who’s so willing to target private citizens and ruin their lives.’
He further shared that when he first started playing Trump on the show, he was frequently challenged by a majority of Americans who were tired of the president.
‘I get why people hate him so much that they don’t even want to think about the normal things that an actor would think about to get into a character,’ Johnson said on stage.
‘I think that’s definitely made it hard for people to find the way in with Donald Trump. And he’s also been around for a billion years,’ he added.
When comparing himself to how Baldwin took on the Trump character, Johnson said he focuses more on the president’s personality, as opposed to being aggressive.
When asked if he ever gets worried about getting backlash from Trump (pictured on June 5) or his diehard supporters, Johnson admitted that he does
Before Johnson, actor Alec Baldwin (pictured), a frequent SNL host, would play Trump, though the president has never really been fond of his impression
‘I think I play his charm a little bit more maybe than Alec did. I think I play the secret weapon that [Trump]’s deployed, which is that he’s funny, intentionally and unintentionally… That’s not really something I’m looking for when it’s time to vote for somebody, but it’s been extremely powerful,’ he explained.
Johnson credited a lot of his success in his role to honing in on the president’s ability to ramble because, according to him, Trump ‘never finishes a thought.’
He also made note of the fast-changing American news cycle, which sees Trump hop on the TV or Truth Social sometimes several times a day.
Because much of what Trump says tends to be controversial, Johnson said there are times when his scenes have to be rewritten just before airtime.
He said: ‘There’s tons of new bulls*** every day. You can’t follow a single story ever. It all expires immediately and turns over.
Johnson credited a lot of his success in his role to honing in on the president’s ability to ramble because, according to him, Trump ‘never finishes a thought’
‘If [Trump] has a crazy on Wednesday that we have written, he will say something much crazier Saturday morning. Or a guy will faint in the office, and he just kind of looks over at a guy dying two feet from him.’
Johnson referred to the November 2025 moment when a man suddenly fainted in the Oval Office during a press conference on Trump’s weight loss drug cost reduction plan.
Dr. Mehmet Oz, the administrator of the US Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services, rushed to help the man while Trump was seen looking on as he received medical attention.
White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt later said the man was someone who ‘represented’ one of the drug companies, and Trump announced that he was ‘fine.’
Sign up HERE to our DC Insider newsletter – your guide to what’s rocking Washington, rattling the White House and setting tongues wagging on the Hill
