NEW YORK — Alec Baldwin made his return to “Saturday Night Live” this past Saturday. However, instead of reprising his iconic portrayal of former President Donald Trump, Baldwin took on the character of Fox News anchor Bret Baier. The sketch humorously satirized a recent interview with Vice President Kamala Harris, bringing together Baldwin’s comedic talent with the timely topic.
As Baldwin entered the stage, he was greeted by enthusiastic cheers from the live audience. He quickly revealed his character, quipping, “Yes, I do look like someone made a businessman in Minecraft,” setting the playful tone for the skit. Drawing laughter from the audience, the scene continued with the actress playing Kamala Harris, who nervously chuckled after shaking hands with Baldwin, remarking, “The pleasure is neither of ours.”
The sketch cleverly mimicked Baier’s style of interrupting Harris during interviews, with Baldwin hilariously cutting Rudolph off in a rapid-fire manner. In one instance, after interrupting her multiple times, Rudolph exclaimed, “May I please finish?” to which Baldwin responded, “I’m asking you to.” The back-and-forth continued comically as Rudolph insisted, “Well, then you have to listen,” and Baldwin replied, “Well I can’t because I’m talking.” The audience couldn’t contain their laughter when Baldwin quipped, “Maybe when I go to bed.”
In another humorous moment, the skit referenced an incident where Baier acknowledged an error of playing the incorrect clip during a Trump response. This allowed “SNL” to incorporate more mini-skits, including a segment featuring Dana Carvey impersonating President Joe Biden, who has been a recurring character following the show’s landmark 50th season premiere.
As the sketch drew to a close after numerous interruptions, Harris finally managed to say, “Before I go, can I just say the thing I’ve been trying to say this whole time? Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!” joining her was Baldwin, who echoed the iconic sign-off.
Hosting the episode that night was Michael Keaton, known for his role in “Beetlejuice,” while Billie Eilish served as the musical guest. Baldwin holds the record for hosting “SNL” a remarkable 17 times, although it has been some time since his last appearance. His recent hiatus was notably impacted by the involuntary manslaughter trial related to the tragic shooting of a cinematographer on the set of the film “Rust,” which concluded in July with a mistrial.