Just as it has for the last four years, the uber-liberal “Saturday Night Live” show opened with Trump, Trump, Trump.
But during the show’s “Weekend Update,” the anchors mocked the partisan, pointless impeachment trial, which predictably ended with former President Donald Trump’s acquittal.
“Well, like so many other men living in Florida, Donald Trump has once again escaped from justice,” said co-host Colin Jost.
“This has to be the dumbest trial I’ve ever seen. Here’s how dumb it was: the jurors who were deciding the case were the ones attacked by the defender; the trial took place at the scene of the crime; and then right after the trial ended, one of the jurors who voted to acquit Trump ran out and said, ‘Someone’s gotta’ prosecute this guy. He did it. This man belongs in jail!'”
This weekend’s update! pic.twitter.com/HuNz3BjWBy
— Saturday Night Live – SNL (@nbcsnl) February 14, 2021
Jost was referring to Senate GOP Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY), who called the trial unconstitutional and voted to acquit Trump, but later said: “He didn’t get away with anything yet.”
“President Trump is still liable for everything he did while in office,” McConnell said after the vote to acquit Trump on charges he incited the Jan. 6 riot at the U.S. Capitol. “We have a criminal justice system in this country. We have civil litigation.”
Jost, though, didn’t mention that it was also the “dumbest trial” because the Senate is split 50-50 between the two parties and a vote to convict requires 67 senators to vote “guilty.”
The co-host also said it’s appropriate for a president to be impeached for “sending a mob to kill the vice president.” Jost said he sympathized with former Vice President Mike Pence because “43 of his work friends were like, ‘Come on, Mike, they only tried to hang you. Stop being such a drama queen.'”
And the comedian suggested that President Joe Biden should inform liberal rioters that they can head to the U.S. Capitol because in their acquittal of Trump, senators “said it was fine.”
In the how’s cold open, cast member Kate McKinnon portrayed Republican Sen. Lindsey Graham of South Carolina, who said the acquittal was a “great day for 30% of America.”
McKinnon’s Graham also said that with the end of the trial, the government could focus on important issues like “locking up Hillary [Clinton] and freeing beautiful Britney Spears,” a reference to the “Free Britney” movement over the pop singer’s court-ordered conservatorship.
The sketch also targeted Trump’s defense team, including Bruce Castor, who delivered a rambling opening statement on the trial’s first day. “Hello, senators and other serious people. I want to apologize for being unprepared last time I was out here — wife bought decaf.”
And cast member Beck Bennett portrayed McConnell, who said now that the trial is over, he plans to “reach my hand across the aisle and then yank it back and slide it across my hair and say ‘Too slow!’”