The Senate acquitted Donald Trump, ending the impeachment trial earlier this week, so “Saturday Night Live” turned its attention away from the current president and onto who might become the president — by delivering a new democratic debate cold open sketch.
The special guest star gang was all back — from Jason Sudeikis as Joe Biden, to Rachel Dratch as Amy Klobuchar and Larry David as Bernie Sanders. And the “SNL” regular cast members took their usual posts, as well: Colin Jost as Pete Buttigieg, Bowen Yang as Andrew Yang and Kate McKinnon as Elizabeth Warren. Pete Davidson took on Tom Steyer.
The sketch started with some jokes at the Iowa caucus’s expense. “Losing Iowa was a real kick in the nuts but I’m not worried at all,” said Sudeikis’ Biden. This was because he likes to “creep up from behind. As he put it, “my numbers are going to surprise you with a nice, sweet kiss on the neck.”
Meanwhile, David’s Sanders couldn’t believe “all of this mess happened in Iowa because of an app. Hey, I have an idea for an app — it’s call no apps,” he said. Instead he advocated for people showing “up to your polling place, take a number like you do at your butcher.”
McKinnon’s Warren wanted to turn attention to the next primary, though, taking place on Feb. 11. She said she felt “very confident about my chances in New Hampshire. I tend to really connect with New England moms who own big dogs and rock a fleece vest.”
Meanwhile, Dratch’s Klobuchar was out to remind the audience that Warren is “not the only sensible candidate standing here before you. You are looking at the other half of the New York Times endorsement. Elizabeth is J. Lo and I’m Shakira.”
After a brief word from their sponsor — Fred Armisen as Mike Bloomberg — it was time to hear the candidates’ takes on how to win the black vote.
“It’s simple, if you want black people to like you, you give them $1,000. It’s been working for me since high school,” offered Yang’s Yang.
For closing statements, Dratch’s Klobuchar just wanted to know “why am I not doing better? I’m the most reasonable person on stage. Instead of tearing everyone down, I get along with everyone up here.” She went on to give a number of the other candidates nicknames before signing off, “I’m Amy Klobuchar, I’m here, I’m square, get used to it.”
McKinnon’s Warren said she knows “a lot of people like me but they worry if I’m electable and I have a great solution for that — elect me. It’s that simple.”
David’s Sanders had to address that he doesn’t know “how or why it happened” but he has “internet trolls” Bernie Bros. “Can I stop them in their tracks? Of course. Should I? Yes. Will I? Eh,” he said. “Hillary Clinton says nobody likes me. Let me ask you this: then how come I’m the most popular guy on 4Chan?”
Jost’s Buttigieg talked about corruption and “how big business controls too much of Washington.” He also said he knows he sounds “like a bot that has studied human behavior by watching 100 hours of Obama speeches. So let’s get white Obama trending and not ironically.”
There was an attempt to also get the “Yang Gang” trending, and then Davidson’s Steyer said he didn’t come here to make friends but he did make some great ones and “it’s been an honor.” Sudeikis’ Biden was told he had 60 seconds for the closing remarks, to which he replied that doctors told him he had “six to eight months.”
Watch a clip from the Feb. 8 “SNL” cold open below:
“Saturday Night Live” airs live coast-to-coast Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC.
