‘SNL’ Cold Open Crashed by Tom Hanks as David S. Pumpkins, Nicki Minaj and Donald Trump, Who Admits He ‘Might Be Gay’
Tom Hanks returned to “Saturday Night Live” as David S. Pumpkins in a Halloween cold open that mocked Donald Trump’s campaign remarks and his attention to male candidates’ physiques. The sketch also satirised rapper Nicki Minaj’s public support for Trump, imagining her as his next press secretary after Katie Zacharia’s brief stint in the role.
The amusement-park scene featured Kenan Thompson as the Grim Reaper, with Mikey Day and former cast member Bobby Moynihan alongside Hanks. James Austin Johnson played Trump, who joked that he “might be gay”, complained about Republican prospects in the 3 November midterms and urged support for Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton despite calling him unattractive. Saidah Belo-Osagie portrayed Minaj, and Zacharia appeared at the end, stumbling over the show’s opening line.
In short
- Tom Hanks revived David S. Pumpkins in an SNL Halloween sketch.
- The cold open mocked Trump’s campaign comments and midterm worries.
- Saidah Belo-Osagie played Nicki Minaj as a prospective press secretary.
Explained simply
Saturday Night Live is an American sketch-comedy programme that often uses impersonations and topical jokes to comment on US politics and popular culture. Its “cold open” is a short sketch shown before the programme’s opening titles, usually featuring a current public figure or news theme.
Donald Trump is a Republican politician who has served as US president and remained a prominent figure in the party. Midterm elections take place halfway through a president’s term, when voters choose members of Congress and, in some states, governors and other officials; Texas is one of the states that elects a US senator.
Nicki Minaj is a rapper whose public comments on politics have drawn attention, while Tom Hanks is an actor known for playing David S. Pumpkins in an earlier Saturday Night Live sketch. The programme’s satire brings together politics and entertainment, using familiar figures and characters to make jokes about public remarks and campaign culture.
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