SNL returns with Trump cold open and satirical White House cabinet

Saturday Night Live returned from its winter break on January 18, 2026, with a cold open starring James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump alongside a mock White House cabinet.

The sketch paired Johnson with a cabinet of “curiosities” and “little freaks,” including JD Vance (Jeremy Culhane), Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernández), Kristi Noem (Ashley Padilla) and Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost). Writers moved rapidly through topics, skewering the (probably illegal) abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, ICE’s presence in Minnesota, rumors about Vance wearing eyeliner, and making increasingly pointed jokes about Trump’s deteriorating mental health.

The segment continues a now-familiar SNL tradition of Johnson portraying Trump and riffing on actions coming out of the White House since the show last aired, with the writers apparently covering a lot of ground after the brief hiatus.

Key Topics

Culture, Saturday Night Live, James Austin Johnson, Donald Trump, Jd Vance, Nicolás Maduro