Lin-Manuel Miranda Revives Alexander Hamilton in Hilarious Trump-Filled ‘SNL’ Cold Open
Lin-Manuel Miranda returned to his iconic role as Alexander Hamilton in a witty and memorable “Saturday Night Live” cold open, featuring a satirical clash with James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump.
This was followed with a sketch opening to the Declaration of Independence with Miranda’s Hamilton delivering an impressive speech that flows directly into a rap:
“In America, we’ll never have a king.”
This was quickly dispersed by Trump who joked, “Never say never! Kidding, of course, though in many ways, I’m not. I’m in my king era.”
Johnson’s Trump began with his hallmark rambling monologue, and the founding fathers, such as Miranda, stood stiff behind him. Trump started thinking about his inauguration, which he said was conducted inside “because it was cold and because of fear,” but it “was a tremendous success.”
He went on to mock Melania Trump’s dress choice at the event, suggesting she looked like Kung Lao from *Mortal Kombat*, a character known for wearing a hat as a weapon.
The monologue turned meta as Trump poked fun at Miranda, breaking the fourth wall to say:
“Look at Lin. Look how bad he wants to do a rap. He wrote a whole rap, and he doesn’t get to do it. Oh, the audience would have eaten that right up. But we’re not going to hear it.”
Though she found it difficult not to laugh, Miranda was finally able to “defrost” long enough to deny Trump’s assertion that he had donated $1 million anonymously to his campaign.
This episode was hosted by Oscar-nominated actor Timothée Chalamet, who brought a mix of humor and music to the night. As Chalamet looks back on all his experiences of awards season, he jokingly quips, “I just keep losing, and each time, it gets harder to pretend it doesn’t sting.”
Well, for some poor sap bent under the weight of his own disappointment. A montage of this unfolded before he read aloud a heartfelt acceptance speech he’d been saving for years. In a comedic twist, an audience member announced that Kenan Thompson was the “winner” of the faux award, and thrilled, he leaped to accept it as Chalamet fumed.
And to top off the night, Chalamet was the musical guest, singing a medley of Bob Dylan classics: “Outlaw Blues,” “Three Angels,” and “Tomorrow Is a Long Time.” In his monologue, he had good words for the privilege of being able to sing songs that are “personal favorites,” quipping:
“SNL is either really good for letting me do this, or incredibly evil, and this is all a big joke. It really can’t tell which.”
This became an episode that was a mix of smart satire, memorable performances, and heartfelt moments to continue its legacy in *Saturday Night Live*, which, throughout its history, would deliver timely and entertaining sketches.
