Sydney Sweeney Jokes on 'SNL' About Mom's Donald Trump Party

Sydney Sweeney joked about her mother's birthday party, where some attendees wore Donald Trump-themed hats, during her Saturday Night Live monologue.

"I'm from a town called Spokane right on the border of Washington and Idaho," the Euphoria actress said during her SNL debut.

"I feel bonds to both states. Like when people ask, 'where are you from?' I say Washington. But when people ask, 'did you go to a Trump-themed party for your mom?' I say I-da-ho."

The Context:

Sweeney sparked backlash in August 2022 after she posted pictures on Instagram of the "surprise hoedown" she threw to celebrate her mother's 60th birthday party at a barn in Idaho.

Her brother, Trent, also shared pictures from the party, with one image showing people wearing red hats that say "Make Sixty Great Again" in the style of Trump's "Make America Great Again" hats.

What We Know:

Sweeney responded to the controversy sparked by the pictures at the time, telling people to "stop making assumptions."

"You guys this is wild," she wrote on X, formerly Twitter. "An innocent celebration for my moms milestone 60th birthday has turned into an absurd political statement, which was not the intention. Please stop making assumptions."

She also addressed it in an interview with Variety in 2023.

"There were so many misinterpretations," she told the magazine.

"The people in the pictures weren't even my family. The people who brought the things that people were upset about were actually my mom's friends from L.A. who have kids that are walking outside in the Pride parade, and they thought it would be funny to wear because they were coming to Idaho."

Views:

Sweeney's joke about the controversy sparked mixed reactions on social media, with some questioning why she would want to remind people of it.

"Why in the world would she bring something like this back up??" one person wrote on X.

"Haven't looked at her the same since," another wrote. "Not very smart of her or whoever wrote this to remind everyone again."

"The 2nd hand embarrassment the audience must have felt," another person wrote.

But some praised her comedic skills.

"That's how you turn a potentially awkward moment into comedy gold! Leave it to Sydney to keep it real and keep us all laughing!" one person wrote.

What's Next?

Sweeney plays a nun in her next movie, Immaculate, out later in March.

Update and correction 3/3/24, 5:35 a.m. ET: This article has been updated with additional information and to correct the spelling of Sweeney.