In recent years, it seems that “Saturday Night Live” has been making headlines more for its offensive portrayal of President Donald Trump and his supporters than for making objectively funny content.
Even when the long-running sketch comedy show had a genuinely newsworthy event to promote — it’s 50th anniversary — the biggest news to surface from it was the backlash over actor Tom Hanks’ offensive stereotype of Trump voters.
The criticism even came from at least one former cast member, Victoria Jackson, who has become an outspoke conservative commentator in the years since leaving the show.
As Breitbart reported:
Jackson told TMZ the actor’s skit was “stupid,” and lamented the sexual vulgarity on the show. She also pointed the outlet to an X post by political commentator Link Lauren, who called out the “MAGA = racist” trope as “downright disgusting.”
“Tom Hanks just came out on SNL in a MAGA hat for a bit where he acted like he didn’t want to shake a black man’s hand,” Lauren wrote in a Sunday X post, adding, “This show wonders why their ratings are in the gutter.”
“Trump won the popular vote,” Lauren reminded his readers. “This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show for snobbish liberal elites.”
“The current Republican Party is a big tent coalition compromised of many former Democrats,” the political commentator concluded in his post, before adding, “Good riddance, SNL!”
Jackson and Lauren were just two of the many pundits who found the portrayal distasteful:
Tom Hanks went on SNL dressed like a slob mocking millions of Trump supporters – portraying them as dumb, racist, rednecks.
Keep it up libs. You'll never win another election again. pic.twitter.com/MigX4rE0Sa
— Sara Rose 🇺🇸🌹 (@saras76) February 17, 2025
“I did not like Tom Hanks depiction of a Trump supporter… I’m all for Trump and I support MAGA”
“SNL, stay in your place. Tom Hanks, you know you wrong for that. I used to love you as an actor. Now I don’t love you no more cause of that skit.”
Everything they do backfires🔥👇🏼 pic.twitter.com/3KlDoUAZ1b
— TONY™ (@TONYxTWO) February 18, 2025
Tom Hanks, dressed as a MAGA supporter on SNL acting as he’s afraid to shake a black man's hand, pushing the LIE that MAGA equals racism. This portrayal is not just ignorant; it's laughably out of touch. The Left, like Hanks, clings to a narrative painting MAGA as white… pic.twitter.com/xVuxpXgrwM
— ꪻꫝể ꪻꫝể (@TheThe1776) February 17, 2025
For her part, however, Jackson has since indicated that her initial remarks were skewed in the initial report from TMZ:
According to NewsNation:
While she admitted that she wasn’t a fan of the sketch, she said it wasn’t surprising, as she believes SNL has always been critical of Trump supporters.
“SNL always puts down Trump supporters — there’s nothing new about that. Every sketch they write bashes Trump,” Jackson explained. “When I saw the sketch, I thought, ‘Oh brother.’ But I don’t think Tom Hanks wrote it. Tom didn’t have to do it, but I wasn’t mad at him. I’ve worked with him before, and I love him.”
Here’s some coverage of former Fox News Channel host Megyn Kelly’s reaction:
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