The scene begins with Mikey Day portraying Jesus, angrily flipping tables in the Temple as part of the biblical story of the cleansing of the temple. Enter James Austin Johnson, playing Trump, who interrupts the holy scene to draw a parallel between Jesus’ actions and his recent tariff announcement. Trump, in full character, quips, “Remind you of anyone? I also got rid of money last week, but instead of one temple, I did the whole country, maybe even the globe. The money’s gone!”
It’s a bold comparison. In this world, Trump seems to position himself not just as a disruptor, but as a messianic figure who, through his sweeping tariffs, has single-handedly changed the global economy. “I’m comparing myself to the son of God again,” Johnson’s Trump says, mimicking the President’s self-aggrandising tone. “People are calling me the Messiah because of the ‘mess-I-ah’ I made of the economy.”
The comedy doesn’t stop there. The segment references the confusion and chaos that has followed Trump’s decision to impose heavy tariffs, a move that has sent the stock market into a tailspin. “The stock market did a Jesus,” Johnson’s Trump declares. “It died, then on the third day it was risen. And on the fourth day, it died again, possibly never to return.”
A pause that lasts a week
Of course, Trump’s tariffs have already become a national talking point. Just days before this SNL sketch aired, the President announced a temporary 90-day halt on some tariffs to countries other than China. This was perhaps an attempt to steady a volatile market, but in true Trump style, the cold open portrays him as a leader who can’t help but make dramatic, often contradictory moves. “These beautiful tariffs were working so well that I had to stop them,” Johnson’s Trump says. “Now, everything is back exactly how it was, minus a few trillion dollars.”
The sketch continues to explore the absurdity of Trump’s approach to global economics. Johnson even riffs on Easter, drawing a humorous, if bizarre, connection between the holiday and America’s economic crisis. “We love Easter, we love bunny, we love hunting for eggs,” Johnson’s Trump muses. “That’s what everyone’s doing at the grocery store right now.” It’s a biting commentary on the rising costs of everyday goods due to the tariff fallout.
The White Potus: A recession vacation
Later in the episode, Trump’s tariff debacle resurfaces in a parody of the hit HBO show The White Lotus. The sketch, titled The White Potus, imagines Trump and his family on vacation while the global economy teeters on the edge of collapse. It’s a comedic take on the President’s inability to shield his family from the reality of the economic devastation he’s unleashed.
Melania Trump, portrayed by Chloe Fineman, delivers a line dripping with irony: “We are so lucky that America will always be a rich and powerful nation. Can you imagine how awful it would be if America lost all of its money and no one in the world respected us anymore?”
The sketch goes on to explore the surreal experience of watching a nation unravel while still clinging to wealth and power. It mirrors a storyline from The White Lotus, where a businessman tries to shield his family from the impending financial ruin that awaits them. Here, the comedic parallels to Trump are hard to ignore.
Mocking the Trump bible
In perhaps the most absurd moment of the night, the SNL writers take their satire even further with a parody of Trump’s self-made religious iconography. In the cold open, Trump pitches his very own “Trump Bible,” which is now “made in America” and costs a whopping $1,300. Johnson’s Trump quips, “It falls apart even faster.” The joke speaks volumes about the performative nature of Trump’s leadership, combining his constant self-promotion with his disregard for the lasting impact of his policies.
A financial reality check
The episode also takes a darker turn, as another sketch portrays a fictional financial news show aimed at Americans living paycheck to paycheck. Kenan Thompson’s character, an international commodities correspondent, reflects the reality for many Americans struggling with inflation. “I used to eat Cap’n Crunch cereal before the price went up, so today, I buy this: Sergeant Munch. Lower rank, lower price, flavour bad,” he jokes. It’s a small but poignant jab at the broader economic fallout from Trump’s tariffs.
A familiar criticism of SNL
Trump has long had a contentious relationship with SNL. After years of mockery, the President has used his platform to lash out at the show, calling it “tired” and accusing it of being a “Republican hit job.” However, this latest parody continues the show’s longstanding tradition of holding Trump accountable for his actions, no matter how absurd or dramatic.
Whether it’s comparing himself to Jesus, making whimsical sales pitches for a fictional Bible, or drawing absurd parallels between tariffs and religious figures, Trump’s Easter monologue was a sharp, satirical look at a presidency defined by its unpredictability and self-aggrandisement. And for many, it was a timely reminder of the economic turbulence that continues to haunt the nation.
