'SNL' Relentlessly Mocks Ron DeSantis, Republican Debate

Ron DeSantis and his fellow Republican runners for the 2024 election have been relentlessly mocked by a team of comedians on Saturday Night Live.

Hosted by Timothee Chalamet, Saturday evening's SNL riffed off Wednesday evening's GOP debate, hosted on NBC News. The show featured John Higgins as Ron DeSantis, Molly Kearney as Chris Christie, Heidi Gardner as Nikki Haley, Ego Nwodim playing Vivek Ramaswamy, Devon Walker as Tim Scott, and James Austin Johnson in the role of Donald Trump.

The sketch was introduced as the "Republican kids' table debate," with all candidates bar Trump standing behind podiums onstage. Trump has not taken part in any of the debates.

But that didn't stop him from making an appearance—sort of. "How adorable!" Johnson as Trump said as he first took the stage, a role he has played in several sketches now. "They actually think they've got a chance. Sad in some ways, but in other ways, funny. Can you believe it, folks? Ninety-one indictments, four trials and I am still the best choice."

As Johnson arrived on stage, the other candidates froze in place, with the lights turning red and Johnson taking center stage. "They are all stuck behind me and there is nothing they can do about it, just like in real life," remarked Trump, before shifting the sketch onto their poll numbers.

"Three percent, 8 percent, 14 percent, 5 percent, and how about poor Tim Scott. One percent—very low. Lower than, frankly, milk," Johnson's Trump remarked.

He continued: "We like to say, Ramaswamy. But do we like him? He makes it hard, doesn't he folks? This kid, he checks a lot of boxes. He's rich. He's rude. He's got weird hair. He's a lot like me except for one thing that matters a lot to my horrible, horrible base. ... white."

Johnson's Trump didn't stop there. "And look who SNL has playing him. Poor Ego—you don't like it. She doesn't like it. She used to be Lisa from Temecula. Now she's Vivek from Ramaswamy."

Then it was on to DeSantis, portrayed by John Higgins. "Ron's watching [SNL] going like, 'Who the hell is that?' Poor Ron DeSantis even SNL doesn't think he has a chance. If they did it'd be like Paul Rudd or something in there."

Turning to Haley, Trump remarked: "I call her bird brain, but only in public. She made some terrible points in that debate—I think, I don't know. I have trouble hearing women over 25. But let's be honest. We are not going to have a president whose name is Nikki. President Nikki. It just doesn't sound right, probably because it's a women's name."

He then addressed Christie, rounding off the jibes at the candidates: "How can we forget Chris Christie? It's actually pretty easy. You just walk away."

Explaining why his character couldn't take part in the GOP debates, Johnson said: "I'm very, very busy. I'm going from trial to trial. I'm basically doing House Hunters, but with courtrooms."

Trump was on the stand earlier this week in his New York civil fraud trial, in which some of his children also testified.

"So awful to bring in the family," Johnson. "I'll be very sad when I pin it on one of them—probably Eric."