Lin-Manuel Miranda made a surprise return as Alexander Hamilton on the latest episode of Saturday Night Live, delivering nostalgia and humor through the show's cold open, which found itself at the intersection of history and current events.
Opening right after Donald Trump’s second inauguration, SNL took the audience back to the signing of the Declaration of Independence. The scene was stirring until it was hilariously interrupted by Trump, portrayed by James Austin Johnson, who deemed it his "king era." Miranda began reciting, "Our lives matter not if we lose them in the cause of liberty. What matters is the nation we built. Because in America, all men are created equal. America, not England, we do win the sequel, and we will have leaders, but no one thing: we will never have a king.”
Just as Miranda began to rap, Johnson’s Trump interjected with his signature bravado, saying, “Never say never. I’m creating a new country as well, and just like the Founding Fathers, we're doing it very whitely.” This riffing on history paired with modern satire became the backbone of the segment, as Trump also addressed pressing contemporary issues from his administration.
Throughout the skit, Trump, fresh off his inaugural week, boasted about his accomplishments, quickly morphing from historical figures back to the present chaos of politics. His comedic commentary included jabs at tech billionaires like Jeff Bezos and Mark Zuckerberg, whose presence he jokingly acknowledged by seating them front and center. “You know I had to put my nerd herd in the front row. Bro-ligarchs before oligarchs,” he remarked.
The sketch effectively utilized humor to discuss Trump’s various executive orders, such as those defining gender strictly and ending diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives, summarized with the quip, “DEI is over. It’s dead.” Johnson’s Trump even mocked the appearance of high-profile individuals from tech sectors, grouping them together as his supporters during his moment of power.
Reflecting the absurdities of the era, Miranda’s presence was both timely and poignant. Mirroring Trump’s comments on Cabinet nominations, he humorously struggled to hold his composure as Johnson’s antics unfolded, adding to the authenticity of the interactively comedic moment. “He’s in sniffing distance of an EGOT and he’s got to stand there till I’m done,” Johnson taunted as Miranda tried not to break character.
The political satire was not afraid to address the blunders of the week either, with Trump concluding, “It’s been a great week. I basically hit all my campaign promises, except for the one thing people cared about: the price of eggs. All-time high! Who would have thought it’d be easier to get a ceasefire in Gaza than to bring down the price of eggs?” This was offered alongside other comedic critiques linking tech figures to broader political absurdities, reinforcing SNL’s dedication to commenting on the realities of American politics.
On another note, the Instagram incident featuring Elon Musk at one of Trump’s inauguration events, where he was accused of giving the Nazi salute, was addressed. Trump dismissed the allegations with remarks about Musk 'creating' new greetings. All of these components delivered on SNL's longstanding practice of commentary through absurdity.
Trump’s character continued to reinforce controversial political stances, claiming to usher America back to ideals reminiscent of the era he ostensibly parodied. He asserted, “No more drag, no more guys in wigs, no more whatever these guys are wearing,” as he pointed toward Miranda and the others frozen on the backdrop.
The cold open concluded with Trump thanking Miranda for what he falsely claimed was Miranda's generous donation to his campaign, addressing him directly one last time, “Look at Lin. He got tricked to come here and now he’s frozen on stage.” The moment concluded humorously as Miranda insisted, “No, it wasn’t” to the audience's laughter.
The sketch undoubtedly served not only as entertainment but also as commentary on the rapidly shifting political atmosphere during Trump’s return. It functioned as SNL’s characteristic blend of satire meant to provoke thought and invite laughter amid contemporary political tensions. For Lincoln's Hamilton to share the stage with the modern political figure of Trump was both fitting and compelling, paving the way for interesting discussions surrounding the political narrative, satire, and historical perspective.
SNL’s cold open remains a fixture for audiences seeking comedic relief through satire, managing to elicit laughter even when confronting serious topics. With Miranda’s iconic portrayal intersecting with Johnson’s sharp satire, viewers were treated to the nuanced relationship between America’s past and present, all through the lens of comedy.