SNL Skewers Trump’s Tariffs In Hilarious Sketch That Has Viewers Laughing Out Loud
“My favorite word, tariff, which, of course, is short for a-terrific-idea.”
Saturday Night Live brought the laughs in its April 5 episode, with a sharp and absurdly funny cold open that left viewers in stitches. The sketch featured cast member James Austin Johnson reprising his role as former President Donald Trump, this time taking aim at Trump’s recent Rose Garden speech about imposing new tariffs on imported goods.
The parody opened with Johnson’s Trump announcing tariffs ranging from 10% to 54% on all imports, mimicking the real-life announcement with a comedic twist. From the moment Johnson appeared on screen, he launched into a stream of exaggerated Trumpisms that had the live audience and viewers at home laughing out loud.
“Thank you all for coming out to hear about tariffs. My favorite word, tariff, which, of course, is short for a-terrific-idea,” Johnson quipped in character. He described the tariffs as the “backbone of my incredible plan for our economy.”
Poking fun at the seemingly arbitrary nature of the proposed rates, Johnson added, “It’s actually better than a plan, because it’s a series of random numbers, like the numbers on the computer screen in Severance.”
Continuing the bit, he said, “You have no idea what the hell they mean, but I know what the numbers mean … They mean we’re gonna make America wealthy again. You know you’re gonna check your stock portfolio in a couple days and think ‘I’m almost too wealthy.’”
True to form, the sketch didn’t stop at economic policy. Johnson’s Trump went on to announce a new acronym, MAWA — Make America Wealthy Again — before jokingly pivoting to an even more extreme plan.
