In a sharp and unflinching segment on its latest episode, NBC's long-running comedy show Saturday Night Live (SNL) delivered a brutal satirical take on political figures and military scandals. The show's "Weekend Update" co-anchor, Colin Jost, stepped into the spotlight to impersonate Pete Hegseth, portraying him as an aggressive and angry Pentagon chief embroiled in controversy.
Mock Press Conference Unleashes Satire
The sketch was framed as a mock press conference where Jost's Hegseth character immediately set a confrontational tone. He began by barking at reporters, demanding to know "where are the fatties?" before ordering one out. The core of the satire focused on serious allegations that Hegseth ordered a second military strike on Venezuelan drug boats, an attack that reportedly killed two survivors who were clinging to the wreckage from an initial strike.
In a twisted attempt at damage control, Jost's character declared, "That kind of cruel, heartless act has no place in Operation Kill Everybody." He then tried to distance himself from the incident with a flimsy excuse, claiming he wasn't in the room. "I was so jacked up after the first strike I had to make an emergency call to my sponsor—I’m sorry, a guy I met at an anonymous meeting," he said, hinting at a struggle with addiction.
Jabs at Trump and Awkward Exchanges
The skit didn't stop at Hegseth. It also took aim at former President Donald Trump, played by cast member James Austin Johnson. When Jost's Hegseth tried to praise Trump as a "high-energy alpha" who trusts him unconditionally, he looked over to find the SNL version of Trump fast asleep in his chair. This joke directly referenced real-world instances from the past week where the former president appeared to doze off at public events.
SNL's sleeping Trump muttered flirtatiously in his dream before jolting awake to shout, "I wasn’t sleeping! I’m very much awake, now someone quickly tell me where am I, who am I and what year might it be." A nervous Hegseth tried to cover for him, saying, "Good one Mr. President. Everything you do that’s weird is a joke."
The segment also included a tense exchange with a reporter played by Ashley Padilla, who questioned Hegseth about a real quote from Arizona Senator Mark Kelly calling Hegseth a "12-year-old playing army." Jost's retort was a dismissive "Oh, get a husband," to which Padilla's character snapped back, "I’m trying!"
Dark Humor and Lasting Impressions
The sketch leaned heavily into dark comedy to critique the gravity of the alleged war crimes. In one particularly pointed line, Jost's Hegseth said, "Let’s just say: if I had a drink for every Venezuelan we’ve killed, I’d really like that number of drinks." This line underscored the show's attempt to use satire to highlight the human cost of military actions.
The segment was accompanied by photos showing the real Pete Hegseth laughing during a Cabinet meeting with President Donald Trump on December 2, 2025, and another of Trump leaving an event after signing bills related to California’s vehicle emissions standards on June 12, 2025. These visuals grounded the absurd comedy in real-world imagery, blurring the lines between satire and reality.
Ultimately, the SNL skit served as a prime example of the show's role in using humor to dissect and critique current political figures and sensitive international incidents, ensuring the alleged Venezuelan strike scandal was viewed through a lens of provocative and uncomfortable comedy.
