Saturday Night Live alum Pete Davidson surprised viewers by leading the newest cold open.
Davidson played Trump Border Czar Tom Homan, who in real life is apparently trying to ease tensions between ICE agents and Minneapolis residents. Davidson’s Homan quickly realized how difficult this task would be, however, as he tried to talk to ICE agents.
NBC
“Let’s talk about use of force,” Homan said to the ICE officers. “When do we want to use force?”
One of the ICE agents, played by cast member Jeremy Culhane, answered, “Right away?”
“No, think of the opposite,” Homan said.
Another agent, played by Andrew Dismukes, nodded and answered, “Right: preemptively.”
“Also no,” said Homan. “It’s kind of a trick question, because we actually don’t want to use force. Remember, the job, ultimately, is about keeping America safe from… what?”
Another agent, played by James Austin Johnson, answered earnestly, “This could be wrong, but… Don Lemon?”
“You’ve got to do better,” Davidson’s Homan soon snapped. “I’m the separating families at the border guy. I’m the on film taking a $50,000 bribe guy, and y’all are making me look like the upstanding, reasonable adult in the room. That’s crazy!”
SNL, ICE agents played by James Austin Johnson, Ben Marshall, Kenan Thompson NBC
The cold open had Johnson’s agent sum up the situation, telling Homan, “You hired a bunch of angry, aggressive guys, gave us guns, and didn’t train us, so this is maybe what you wanted to happen?”
“Oh, come on,” Homan chided the agent. “Don’t start thinking now.”
The cold open also alluded to the revelations from Saturday’s new release of Epstein files.
When one of the ICE agents mentioned Epstein, Homan answered, “We actually just released those to distract from this, you know? Which is ironic, because we did this to distract from those.”