SNL Satirizes Trump-Zelensky Summit
Musk Appears with Red Chainsaw, Criticizes as "Far-Left Propaganda Machine"
The famous American political satire program SNL parodied the summit meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky.
A scene from the political satire comedy show SNL, aired in the US on the 1st, reenacting a summit meeting between the US and Ukraine. To the right of Trump are actors playing the roles of Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio. SNL YouTube capture
On the 1st (local time), NBC's SNL unreservedly reenacted a scene where U.S. President Donald Trump and Vice President JD Vance reprimand Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. This came just one day after the U.S.-Ukraine summit fell apart. The British Independent criticized, "SNL brutally mocked the Trump-Zelensky meeting."
SNL began with an ironic caption saying, "Yesterday, President Trump invited President Zelensky to the White House. And the meeting was very, very successful. Everyone who saw it thought, 'Now the world is safer.'"
In the skit, Trump said, "I am the owner of the 'GAZA Hotel,'" and added, "I welcome Zelensky into this unbelievable trap. We plan to attack him soon for no reason," starting the meeting. The "GAZA Hotel owner" is a satire of Trump's Middle East peace plan, in which he proposed developing the Palestinian Gaza Strip into a resort area with hotels.
Also, the skit’s Trump immediately mocked Zelensky’s outfit sitting next to him, saying, "You look like a Star Trek character." This was a jab at Zelensky’s military-style uniform resembling the uniforms worn by characters in the famous American sci-fi TV show Star Trek. Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, President Zelensky has consistently worn military-style clothing. In fact, during the actual summit the day before, President Trump sarcastically told Zelensky, "You dressed properly today," and an American journalist openly asked Zelensky, "Did you refuse to wear a suit when visiting the White House? Do you even have a suit?"?a clearly hostile question.
Then, the skit’s Trump told Zelensky, "How about telling Mr. Putin (Russian President) how much you love him and apologizing for invading Russia?" and added, "You could also offer him a night with your wife." This line is presumed to reflect criticism that Trump, who is involved in peace negotiations to end the Russia-Ukraine war, is making unreasonable demands of President Zelensky.
When Zelensky in the skit tried to say something in broken English, the actor playing Vice President JD Vance stopped him and scolded, "What happened to 'thank you'? You haven't said 'thank you' for 15 seconds." This scene satirizes Vice President Vance’s repeated calls the day before for Ukraine and President Trump to express gratitude.
On the 1st, actors from NBC's political satire comedy show 'SNL' reenacted the meeting between Trump and Zelensky. The actor wearing a T-shirt and holding a chainsaw played the role of Elon Musk, CEO of Tesla. SNL YouTube capture
The skit’s Trump returned to the topic of clothing, saying, "Come to think of it, you didn’t wear a suit either," and criticized, "Showing up at the White House in jeans and a T-shirt, what a trashy person." At that moment, a man holding a red chainsaw suddenly stormed into the studio. The actor playing Elon Musk, Tesla’s CEO, appeared. This reenacted Musk’s appearance in a T-shirt at the first cabinet meeting of Trump’s second administration on the 26th of last month, two days before the summit. It mocked how President Trump did not criticize Musk’s attire but pointed out Zelensky’s military uniform at the summit. The red chainsaw satirizes Musk’s performance at last month’s Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), where he held a chainsaw suggesting mass layoffs of federal employees.
Last month at the Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), Musk (left) is performing with a chainsaw. On the right is Musk attending a cabinet meeting at the White House last month, dressed in a T-shirt and hat. Photo by AP Yonhap News
Also, the skit’s Musk asked Trump, "Donald, what are you doing in my office right now?" This is presumed to portray the criticism from inside and outside the U.S. that Musk is effectively playing the role of the president. After the broadcast, Musk expressed displeasure on X (formerly Twitter), calling it "just another far-left propaganda machine."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
