“Saturday Night Live” raised concerns similar to those of some economists, questioning whether President Donald Trump’s controversial tariffs could lead the nation into economic turmoil.
The sketch comedy show began with a parody of Trump’s Rose Garden speech from Wednesday, where he announced tariffs ranging from 10% to 54% on all imported goods. U.S. importers will be responsible for paying these tariffs, a move economists warn could result in higher prices for consumers. Trump, however, claims the tariffs will bring manufacturing jobs back to the U.S., which are now mostly performed in countries with cheaper labor.
James Austin Johnson, portraying Trump on SNL, acknowledged the complex nature of the tariff calculations but assured the audience that the outcome would be positive.
“I know what the numbers mean, OK,” Johnson’s Trump said. “They mean we’re going to Make America Wealthy Again — MAWA!”
Yet, Trump also acknowledged the country would face hardships before seeing any benefits, revealing a new slogan: Make America Great Depression Again.
“It will be a fantastic, unbelievable depression,” he joked. “We’ll be the ones eating the cats and the dogs. That’s going to be fun.”
Trump explained that the higher costs and prices would eventually result in a stronger economy. “It’s simple economics, OK: If the stock market goes down and down and down, that means there’s nowhere to go but up — or maybe further down,” he quipped.
Faith seemed to be a crucial part of the economic strategy. Trump, as portrayed by Johnson, said, “At some point, your money’s gone and that’s OK. We’ll figure it out.”
The sketch took a humorous turn when Trump advisor Elon Musk, played by Mike Myers, interrupted the speech to seek sympathy for his role as CEO of Tesla. Musk’s company has faced market challenges, protests, and vandalism — reportedly linked to anger over Musk’s involvement in cutting thousands of federal jobs under Trump’s directive.
“Suddenly, no one likes Tesla cars,” Myers’ Musk said. “I asked myself why. And I answered myself: because of me.”
Musk then announced the launch of the Tesla Model V, claiming it would be the first electric car capable of self-vandalism, featuring “AI-powered graffiti.”
Despite the technological marvel, Musk doubted the tariffs would lead to positive results. “I’m really smart,” he said, “and these tariffs sound really dumb.”
The episode was hosted by Jack Black, with musical performances from Elton John and Brandi Carlile.
