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Colin Jost Scores with SNL "Weekend Update" Vibes & More: WHCD Review
With SNL "Weekend Update" vibes and a heartfelt ending, Colin Jost impressed during Saturday's White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD).
Though NBC's Saturday Night Live won't be returning until next week (with host & musical guest Dua Lipa), we were treated to some serious "Weekend Update" vibes on Saturday night, with SNL star Colin Jost headlining this year's White House Correspondents' Dinner (WHCD). So… how did he do? Pretty damn well, actually – it was the perfect mix of SNL magic and Jost's spot-on comedic timing, with the SNL "Weekend Update" co-anchor & co-head writer sticking the landing with a sentimental message at the end that stood as a memorable reminder of what's at stake this election season when it comes to ex-reality show host & multi-impeached ex-POTUS Donald Trump. Though folks on social media can always find a reason to rage about even the littlest of things, no one can objectively say that Jost didn't spread the knife-twisting around when it came to the comedy – and that included President Joe Biden.
Before a rundown of some of Jost's best lines on the night, there was one uncomfortably annoying moment from the night that needs to be addressed. Yeah, stand-up comic Matt Friend and what was allegedly a Trump impression. First? Unless he was busy – in a world where James Austin Johnson is still living & breathing, you always get him for Trump. Aside from that, Friend's impression came across like that dude at the party who's had a few too many and swears his Trump impression is the best. While it's not that bad, you know you can't tell him that, so you instead tell him how "great" it is just so you remove yourself from the conversation. Add to that what came across as forced attempts at timely references to the man who set himself on fire outside of Trump's court proceedings and Kristi Noem boasting about killing a dog and a goat, and what we were left with was a steaming pile of awkwardness. Now, about those highlights that we promised…
On The White House/Cocaine Story: "The last time I was in D.C., I left my cocaine at the White House. Luckily, the president was able to put it to good use for his State of the Union. I'm kidding, of course, the president doesn't call it cocaine – he calls it 'high-speed rail.'"
On Biden/Trump Ages: "I'm not saying both candidates are old, but you know Jimmy Carter is out there thinking, 'I could maybe win this thing.'"
On Trump's Legal Issues: "Can we just acknowledge how refreshing it is to see a president of the United States at an event that doesn't begin with the bailiff saying, 'All rise.'"
On Biden's Support Among Black Voters: "Like many of you here tonight, I pretend to do news on TV. My 'Weekend Update' co-anchor, Michael Che, was going to join me here tonight, but in solidarity with President Biden, I decided to lose all my Black support. Che told me to say that, and I'm just realizing I was set up."
On Israeli-Palestinian Conflict College Protests: "The Correspondents Association provides scholarships to promising young journalism students, who may one day be sent off to cover dangerous geopolitical hotspots like Columbia University."
On O.J. Simpson Dying: "Obama got Bin Laden. You got O.J. And by the way, now that O.J.'s dead, who is the new frontrunner for Trump's VP? Is it Diddy?"
On Lara Trump Covering Tom Petty's "I Won't Back Down": "Lara Trump is here. She recently released a cover of 'I Won't Back Down.' Upon hearing it, Tom Petty died again. I can't believe I'm saying this to a member of the Trump family, but maybe stick to politics."
On The New York Times: "Wordle is here! Sorry, I mean the New York Times. I forgot they do stuff in addition to puzzles."
On Matt Gaetz: "We're all here tonight at 'nerd prom'…well, Matt Gaetz is at regular prom."
On "Sleepy Don": "It's after 10 p.m. 'Sleepy Joe' is still awake, while Trump has spent the last week falling asleep in court every morning – though Fox News just said he was being anti-woke."
On Biden's Poll Numbers: "Let me see if I can summarize where this race stands at this moment. The Republican candidate for president owes half a billion in fines for bank fraud and is currently spending his days farting himself awake during a porn star hush money trial, and the race is tied? The race is tied. Nothing makes sense anymore. The candidate who is a New York City playboy took abortion rights away, and the guy who is trying to give your abortion rights back is an 80-year-old Catholic. How does that make sense?"
As we mentioned earlier, Jost ended his run on a personal & heartfelt note. In honor of his late grandfather, William Kelly, Jost spoke directly to President Biden to share how important a sense of decency was to Kelly and that he voted for President Biden "because you're a decent man." Jost added, "My grandpa voted for decency, and decency is why we're all here tonight. Decency is how we're able to be here tonight."