SNL slammed for using Donald Trump to 'mock Jesus' in 'satanic' Easter sketch

As if singer and rapper Lizzo taking aim at US president Donald Trump during this week’s Saturday Night Live wasn’t enough, the programme also began with a cold open in which the Republican interrupted Jesus Christ and his disciples during the Cleansing of the Temple, in a sketch which has seen some social media users slam the “disrespectful” skit for ‘mocking Jesus’.

After Mikey Day as Jesus vows to “rid this place [the Temple] of all its money”, James Austin Johnson walks on as “your favourite president, Donald ‘Jesus’ Trump”.

He said: “I also got rid of money last week, but instead of one temple, I did a whole country, maybe even the globe – the money’s gone.

“Many people are even calling me the Messiah, because of the mess-I-uh made out of the economy, all because of my beautiful tariffs – they’re so beautiful. They were working so well that I had to stop them.”

Johnson’s Trump also claimed the stock market “did a Jesus”, because “it died” and then “on the third day it was risen”.

“And then on the fourth day, it died again, possibly never to return, like Jesus,” he continued.

Johnson used Easter to poke fun at egg prices, joking that he loves “hunting for eggs just like everyone’s doing at the grocery store right now” but that he can’t “crack” the issue raised during his campaign.

The comedian also ridiculed Trump’s annual physical examination, joking that the president was in “one of the best shapes: lump”, and unveiled a “Trump Bible” which is “made in America so it costs $1,300 and it falls apart even faster”.

And away from Trump, Johnson also claimed Easter was “the day where the most homophobic people try to dress as gay as possible”.

While some social media users said Johnson’s performance was “hilarious”:

And hailed SNL as “the best and bravest show on television”:

Others fumed that the skit is “satanic” and “blasphemous trash played for laughs”:

Another said it was “tacky, inappropriate and disrespectful”:

It’s not the first time that SNL has taken aim at Trump and Christianity at Easter, either.

2023 saw the programme have Trump interrupt The Last Supper, and last year the resurrection of Christ was gate-crashed by the Republican, with both instances involving Johnson pointing out that Trump was “comparing [himself] to Jesus”.

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• Lizzo takes ‘iconic’ swipe at Trump’s tariffs during SNL performance
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