Saturday Night Live's Controversial Take on Melania Trump Documentary
Saturday Night Live has delivered a scathing critique of First Lady Melania Trump in their latest Weekend Update segment, targeting her newly released documentary with biting satire that has divided audiences across the political spectrum.
The Wicked Comparison That Set the Tone
Colin Jost opened the segment with a pointed reference to Melania's documentary, which chronicles the twenty days leading up to President Donald Trump's second inauguration. 'This week a documentary about Melania Trump debuted in theaters. It's titled Wicked: For real,' Jost quipped as the audience erupted in laughter. The show displayed a doctored poster tinted green to mimic the Wicked: For Good musical, creating an unmistakable parallel between the First Lady and the story's infamous witch.
Michael Che followed by highlighting the documentary's director, controversial filmmaker Brett Ratner, known for the Rush Hour franchise. 'Melania was directed by Rush Hour director, Brett Ratner - which explains this scene,' Che announced before introducing a spoof clip that would become the segment's most discussed moment.
The Language Insinuation That Sparked Outrage
The edited clip featured a memorable scene from the 1998 comedy Rush Hour, where LAPD Detective James Carter, played by Chris Tucker, frantically yells at a character. In SNL's version, the scene was manipulated to show Tucker's character shouting at Melania Trump: 'Do you speak any English?' and 'Do you understand the words that are coming out of my mouth?' while she simply smiles back, implying the Slovenian-born First Lady doesn't comprehend the language.
The camera cut back to Jost giggling alongside viewers, cementing the segment's controversial tone that would generate intense online debate in the hours following broadcast.
Mixed Reactions Reflect Deep Political Divides
Online responses to the Melania segment revealed stark political divisions. Liberal viewers celebrated the skit, with one commenting on social media: 'That Chris Tucker tells Melania "does she understand English" was funny,' while another praised: 'Weekend update never disappoints.'
Trump supporters expressed markedly different views, with one critic describing SNL as sticking to 'just lame left-wing political commentary these days.' Another complained: 'The left cannot do anything without making Trump the center of it. From their protest to their snl skits Trump is living rent free in their world.' Some viewers found the humor lacking entirely, with one stating: 'I hate watching this c**p. It’s not funny and extremely transparent. SNL is out of touch.'
Expanding Targets Beyond the First Lady
The four-minute segment didn't limit its criticism to Melania Trump alone. Che and Jost extended their satire to President Trump himself, with Che making a particularly incendiary comparison regarding the FBI's recent search of a Georgia election office. 'Jesus man, let it go,' Che said after describing the search. 'I mean, even Hitler stopped trying to get into art school at some point.'
Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem also faced ridicule for her comments about the fatal shooting of ICU nurse Alex Pretti during border patrol operations. 'But none of that really matters to Kristi Noem. She'll open fire even if you're a good boy,' Che joked as an image of a puppy appeared beside him.
ICE Sketch Adds to Political Commentary
The episode's opening sketch continued the political theme, with Pete Davidson making a surprise return to portray White House Border Czar Tom Homan in a segment mocking Immigration and Customs Enforcement leadership. Set in Minneapolis, where real-world protests continue following recent ICE operations, the sketch depicted agents as clueless and aggressive.
Davidson's Homan character attempted to guide fictional agents through basic law enforcement principles, with exchanges highlighting contemporary controversies. When asked what they were looking for, one agent replied: 'Epstein files,' to which Davidson responded: 'Nope, we actually just released those to distract from this, you know, which is ironic because we did this to distract from those.'
The sketch concluded with Davidson asking: 'Can we do our jobs without violating anyone's rights as Americans?' Kenan Thompson's agent delivered the simple reply: 'No.' Davidson's final suggestion: 'Maybe just try not to get filmed?'
Audience Polarization Continues
Reaction to the ICE sketch mirrored the divided response to the Weekend Update segment. One viewer expressed disappointment: 'Thought this was a comedy show….. Not funny,' while another criticized Davidson's performance specifically: 'Pete Davidson is the worst SNL Tom Homan you could possibly imagine.'
The episode's consistent political targeting has reignited debates about SNL's role in contemporary comedy, with some praising its willingness to engage with current events while others lament what they perceive as increasingly overt partisan commentary that compromises entertainment value for political messaging.
