Saturday Night Live (SNL) is no stranger to stirring up political debates. But their latest sketch has caused a fresh wave of anger among MAGA supporters, who say the show went too far by targeting Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth with personal jabs.
The weekend skit made fun of Hegseth’s alleged drinking habits — claims he has firmly denied for years. In the sketch, former SNL star Cecily Strong returned as Judge Jeanine Pirro, while Colin Jost played Hegseth. The two joked about drinking, with Strong’s Pirro calling him her “old drinking buddy” and even spraying wine all over his face.
Jost, as Hegseth then said, “I promised I would never have a bottle touch my lips, but I do have some news to share. Before I do, Jeanine, you want to take a swig of this?” He opened his mouth as Pirro sprayed more wine, saying, “Oh yeah, that’s the stuff,” while the fake Trump called them the “AA team.”
The sketch sparked outrage online, with Trump supporters calling it “disgraceful” and “anti-American.” One person wrote, “This is what despicable disgraceful anti-American TV PROPAGANDA looks like. They attempt to portray @JudgeJeanine & Sec. Def as drinkers to regurgitate old slander points. Is this what you want your kids growing up watching?”
This is what despicable disgraceful anti American TV PROPAGANDA..looks like with SNL.
Within 5 years the show will be done.
The writers for these political segments are handed down talking points. They attempt to portray @JudgeJeanine & Sec. Def as drinkers to regurgitate old… pic.twitter.com/dl2l2zZlkQ— Johnny St.Pete (@JohnMcCloy) May 11, 2025
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Another viewer added, “I remember when Saturday Night Live used to be really funny now it’s just pathetic and sad.”
I remember when Saturday Night Live used to be really funny now it’s just pathetic and sad.
— Sandra gossett (@Sandragossett10) May 11, 2025
Others said it’s no longer a comedy show and isn’t funny anymore.
Because we need to acknowledge that the writers on Saturday Night Live are not very good and have not been in a while. It’s almost a surprise when a good funny skit appears because the normal is that they’re all dreck
— CJ Scalzetti (@CJGoon) May 11, 2025
Saturday Night Live died a couple of decades ago. These people are just weak actors and directors making pretend they have talent.
— MAGA Mr. Peabody (@MAGA_Mr_Peabody) May 11, 2025
Maybe someone should remind Saturday Night Live they are supposed to be a comedy show instead of a National Disgrace and more so a disgrace to all the wonderful great comedians that came before this stupid woke generation that’s destroying the legacy of great comedians
— JAYHAWK (@CherokeeJay80) May 11, 2025
Saturday Night Live has produced numerous amounts of alcoholics and drug addics over the decades. Skit is very hypocritical…
— Robert (@RobertIngham67) May 11, 2025
Many also pointed out that the portrayal of Hegseth didn’t even resemble him. One person wrote, “SNL does poor preparation. They have Hegseth all wrong. He acts like Christopher Moltisanti from the Sopranos, not some prep school kid.” Someone else said, “SNL has no one that can do a decent Hegseth impersonation.”
The timing of the sketch made the anger grow even louder. Just days ago, President Trump announced that he would appoint Judge Jeanine Pirro as the new U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, replacing his interim pick, Ed Martin.
SNL quickly mocked the move, bringing back Cecily Strong’s Pirro, who joked about joining a team full of “Russian assets, booze hounds, and people famous for the little baby animals they’ve killed.”
Even Trump wasn’t spared. The show’s Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, said, “Oh we love Jeanine. She’s a great legal mind and she ahs the most important quality I look for in a lawyer: She’s on TV.”
Pirro’s character bragged that she’s a “Whoopi,” comparing herself to Whoopi Goldberg, and the fake Trump agreed, calling her “very tough.” Pirro added, “I don’t have any reservations about sending things back. My friends know I’ve sent back every salad I’ve ever ordered.” Trump replied, “I wouldn’t know. I’ve never eaten a salad.”
This isn’t the first time SNL has turned Hegseth into a punchline. In March, they joked about him drinking on the job during a sketch that mocked the Trump team’s group chat mix-up, where they accidentally added a journalist to their secret chat.
In that scene, the fake Hegseth said he was making a Jack and Coke “to celebrate,” while another character joked, “it’s like they say in AA, just the one is okay.”
But in real life, Hegseth has consistently denied these stories. During his confirmation hearing, he promised not to drink while in office, calling the old claims false.
Featured image via X screengrab
