News emerged last week that the White House had tutored TikTok “influencers” about Ukraine (they apparently can’t read about the subject because their lips get too tired).
In an odd move, “Saturday Night Live” — about as liberal a show as there is on TV nowadays — decided to mock President Joe Biden and White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki over the revelation.
“This week as the war in Ukraine intensified, access to Facebook and Instagram in the country were shut off, leaving only one source of information: TikTok,” a narrator said in the show’s cold open. “So on Thursday, the White House responded by holding a national security briefing with some of the nation’s top TikTok creators.”
Biden, portrayed by cast member James Austin Johnson, thanked a group of six guests for “answering your nation’s call during a time of need.”
He later added, “I also want to thank my press secretary, Jen Psaki, for having the vision to set this up.”
“I suggested it as a joke and then it actually happened,” said Psaki, played by Kate McKinnon.
The actors mocked Biden, 79, showing him as technologically challenged, then the president and the spokesman turned to the TikTok stars and their thoughts on Ukraine.
First was a parody of real-life “influencer” AnnaLynne McCord who released a video last week in which she imagined she was Russian President Vladimir Putin‘s mother.
“Oh no, it’s that girl,” Psaki said.
Then another cast member playing another “influencer” asked about Hunter Biden’s laptop. “You know you don’t expect the animal makeup girl to be alt-right,” Biden said.
SNL has been taking aim at Biden and Democrats of late. The long-running show kicked off its new season in October in which Johnson nailed Biden, imitating his cadence, the lean-in to the microphone, and even his ever-widening eyes. The skit mocked Biden’s failed attempts to win passage of his $4.7 trillion infrastructure and spending package.
“How’s everybody doing? What’s cooking? What’s good?” Johnson’s Biden says. “How was everyone’s summer? Mine was bad. Not Cuomo bad but definitely not Afghanistan good. Everybody keeps razzing me about that drone strike. But on the bright side, I went the entire summer without falling down the stairs once. It’s pretty darn good.”
“Unlike our last president, I try to stay out of the limelight — like an oil change, you don’t think about me until you absolutely have to. Right now Americans need me, Democrats need me. Got major infrastructure and historic social bills I have to get past. So now I’m bringing together the Democrats like Voltron. Sure, they’re all different colors but fundamentally, they’re robots” Biden says.
Johnson then introduces Sen. Kyrsten Sinema (D-AZ), played by Cecily Strong, who says: “What do I want from this bill? I’ll never tell. I didn’t come to Congress to make friends, and so far, mission accomplished.”
Joseph Curl has covered politics for 35 years, including 12 years as White House correspondent, and ran the Drudge Report from 2010 to 2015. Send tips to [email protected] and follow him on Twitter @josephcurl.