“Saturday Night Live” took viewers back to the Oval Office during its cold open this week, featuring a comedic meeting between President Donald Trump, Secretary of State Marco Rubio, and Elon Musk. The sketch presented the characters’ inner thoughts in a “Curb Your Enthusiasm”-style format.
Mike Myers returned to portray Musk in the segment, which kicked off the Lady Gaga-hosted episode.
In the sketch, James Austin Johnson’s Trump tries to mediate a growing tension between Rubio, played by Marcello Hernandez, and Musk, portrayed by Myers. This week, reports revealed that some Cabinet members, including Rubio, were unhappy with Musk’s actions regarding the Department of Government Efficiency.
In the bit, Rubio, played by Marcello Hernandez, tells Trump, portrayed by James Austin Johnson, that while Musk has been causing chaos, he’s been working on a deal with the Panamanian government to retake the Panama Canal. Trump, uninterested, replies, “Eh, I don’t want it anymore. It seems like a hassle. What I really love is Thailand. I’ve been watching White Lotus and it looks beautiful.”
As Rubio continues, the sketch imagines Trump’s inner monologue where he thinks, “Ah, so boring. This guy can’t stop talking.” He then reflects, “I’m thinking something and not saying it out loud. Whoa. This is a whole new thing. This is crazy. This can save me a lot of trouble. I should do this more often. I won’t, but I should.”
The sketch also explores Musk’s thoughts. At one point, he wonders, “Was taking this job a bad idea?” He continues, “A lot of people really hate me. My Tesla stock is crashing, and my personal net worth just dropped by $100 billion.” Myers’ portrayal of Musk humorously references his Dr. Evil character from the Austin Powers movies as he taps his pinky to his mouth.
SNL is currently celebrating its 50th season, which was marked by a star-studded special last month.