Saturday Night Live’s 50th anniversary episode on October 12, 2025, was always going to be a big night. But few expected the show’s cold open to land with quite the thud—and the laughter—that it did, thanks to the dynamic duo of Amy Poehler and Tina Fey. The two comedy veterans, longtime friends and collaborators, took the stage as U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi and Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem, skewering recent political headlines with biting satire and a string of rapid-fire jokes that had viewers talking long after the credits rolled.
Poehler, hosting the landmark episode, wasted no time diving into the news cycle. According to Variety, the sketch began in the midst of Bondi’s highly publicized Senate hearing, a session marked by controversy and evasive answers—prime material for SNL’s writers. Poehler’s Bondi was combative from the start, firing off quips at the senators grilling her. “My name is Pam Bondi. I spell it with an I, because I ain’t gonna answer any of your questions,” she declared, setting the tone for what was to come. The line, which first appeared in TVLine’s coverage, drew laughs for its irreverence and for poking fun at Bondi’s real-life reputation for stonewalling tough inquiries.
The sketch didn’t shy away from specifics. Poehler’s Bondi lobbed pointed insults at the Senate panel, telling Mikey Day’s Richard Blumenthal character, “even people in Connecticut go, ‘Damn, that guy’s white as hell,’” and quipping that Dick Durbin’s name “sounds like something that Diddy got arrested for.” These jokes, reported by TVLine, played up the absurdity and spectacle often associated with high-profile congressional hearings.
But the biggest laughs—and perhaps the sharpest satire—came as the topic turned to the infamous Jeffrey Epstein files. When pressed about whether former President Trump had directed her to indict James Comey, Poehler’s Bondi demurred, echoing real-life political evasions: “I’m not going to discuss my private conversations with the president.” She piled on with a dig at the White House, joking, “I’m not telling you who fell asleep in the middle of a sentence, or who kept calling me Ivanka while patting his lap.” This line, highlighted by Variety and TVLine, underscored the sketch’s blend of real-world scandal and SNL’s trademark irreverence.
Poehler’s Bondi also riffed on the Epstein files themselves, saying, “I tried reading the Epstein files, but I got really bored. It’s so repetitive. ‘Trump this, Trump that.’ Yawn.” This joke, repeated across Variety’s and TVLine’s accounts, poked fun at both the seriousness of the investigation and the media’s fixation on Trump’s name appearing throughout.
Enter Tina Fey, nearly unrecognizable in blue contact lenses and wielding an automatic weapon as Kristi Noem, the current Homeland Security Secretary in the SNL universe. Fey’s entrance, as described by Variety, was as bombastic as it was satirical. “That’s right, it’s me, Kristi,” she announced, “I spell my name with an ‘I’ because that’s how I thought it was spelled.” The line, a playful jab at the sometimes confusing spellings of public figures’ names, set the stage for Fey’s take on Noem as both tough and a little clueless.
Fey’s Noem quickly established herself as a Washington rarity. “I’m the rarest type of person in Washington, D.C.,” she said. “A brunette that Donald Trump listens to.” The quip, reported by TVLine, drew knowing laughter from the audience, lampooning the former president’s alleged preferences and the revolving door of political appointments.
The sketch then veered into the absurd with a satirical recruitment pitch for ICE, delivered by Fey’s Noem. “Do you take supplements that you bought at a gas station? Do you like to use zip-ties because people in your life don’t trust you with keys? Then buckle up and slap on some Oakleys, big boy, welcome to ICE!” The lines, faithfully recounted by TVLine and Variety, lampooned the agency’s tough-guy image and the sometimes questionable motivations behind law enforcement recruitment ads.
Fey’s Noem didn’t stop there. She offered a tongue-in-cheek breakdown of the ICE hiring process: “How did I find them? By running ads like this: Do you need a job now? Yeah. Are you a big tough guy? Yeah. Tough enough for the army or police? No. Do you take supplements that you bought at a gas station? Daily. Do you like to use zip ties because people in your life don’t trust you with keys? You know it. Suck on some of these big boy. Welcome to ICE.” According to Variety, the audience responded with a mix of laughter and groans, a testament to SNL’s ability to walk the line between humor and discomfort.
The sketch even waded into the recent controversy surrounding Noem’s dog-shooting scandal, a real-life event that has dogged the Homeland Security Secretary in the headlines. Fey’s Noem, unflinching, joked, “That makes me laugh more than the end of ‘Old Yeller.’” She added, “Dogs don’t just get shot—a hero shoots them.” These lines, reported by Variety, drew gasps and laughs, highlighting SNL’s willingness to take on even the most sensitive of topics with a fearless, if sometimes divisive, comedic edge.
Throughout the cold open, Poehler and Fey played off each other with the kind of chemistry only years of partnership can produce. Their banter was quick, their delivery sharp, and their willingness to lampoon both sides of the political aisle unmistakable. By focusing on Bondi’s evasiveness, the media circus around the Epstein files, and Noem’s controversial reputation, the sketch managed to satirize not just individual politicians but the broader spectacle of American political life in 2025.
It’s worth noting that this cold open wasn’t just about the laughs. It was a pointed commentary on the current state of American politics, the endless scandals, and the sometimes surreal nature of Senate hearings and political appointments. By weaving together real headlines, public controversies, and SNL’s signature brand of comedy, Poehler and Fey reminded viewers why the show has remained a staple of American culture for half a century.
As the 50th anniversary episode unfolded, it was clear that SNL still knows how to make headlines—and ruffle feathers—by holding up a funhouse mirror to the nation’s leaders. The cold open, anchored by two of the show’s most beloved alumni, proved that satire is alive and well, even in an era when reality sometimes seems stranger than fiction.
In a night filled with nostalgia and celebration, Poehler and Fey’s razor-sharp parody stood out as a highlight, offering both a laugh and a reminder that, no matter how wild the news gets, SNL will be there to skewer it for all it’s worth.
