Overview
- Saturday Night Live’s season 50 finale opened with a parody of Donald Trump’s Middle East trip, highlighting his interactions with Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman and a controversial Qatari jet proposal.
- The sketch referred to the $400 million Qatari jet as a ‘pre-bribe,’ a jab at bipartisan concerns over the ethics and legality of the proposed gift to the U.S. Air Force.
- James Austin Johnson’s Trump impersonation broke the fourth wall, addressing the audience directly and humorously signing off until the fall.
- President Trump responded on Truth Social during the broadcast, defending the jet as a donation to the U.S. Air Force and criticizing media coverage of the issue.
- Congress continues to scrutinize the Qatari jet offer, which has raised bipartisan concerns over national security risks and compliance with foreign gift laws.