'SNL' mocks Trump over rising gas prices in cold open

Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY Sun, March 15, 2026 at 5:35 AM UTC

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"Saturday Night Live" is taking on rising gas prices − and Timothée Chalamet's ballet takes.

The sketch show kicked off its March 14 episode with a cold open featuring a family of four filling up at a gas station and struggling with the cost, prompting President Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, to enter.

"Hi, it's me, Donald Trump," he said, addressing the audience as the family remained frozen behind him. "You might remember me from such campaign promises as 'lower gas prices' and 'no more wars.' Psych! We love to make promises, because a promise is just a lie that hasn't happened yet. But now it has, and gas costs like a million, billion dollars a gallon."

Referencing the music of Harry Styles, the evening's "SNL" host, Johnson's Trump added, "The stock market is going in one direction: Down." He also explained gas prices are "very high because of war with Iran, which is where they make gas. I wish someone had told me that."

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The cold open also referenced Chalamet's controversial recent remarks that "no one cares about" ballet or opera anymore. The "Marty Supreme" actor made the comments during a discussion about keeping movie theaters alive.

"We will win this war because Iran is old and nobody likes them," Johnson's Trump said. "Iran is like ballet and opera, and we're Timmy Chalamet."

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Colin Jost's Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth also appeared in the opening sketch, entering the scene by stepping out of a car while cans of beer spilled out.

"If you're wondering why I was in the back seat of this random family's car, I'll tell you the same thing I say when people ask about our plans for Iran: I don't know," he said.

Jost as Hegseth went on to complain that the media was "using what I do and say to make me look like a fool."

Styles hosted the March 14 episode of "SNL," on which he also served as musical guest. The Grammy-winning singer had not performed double duty on "SNL" since 2019.

The United States' war with Iran has been a focus in each of the past three cold opens on "SNL." The show's Feb. 28 episode aired the same day the United States and Israel launched military strikes against Iran, leading Johnson's Trump to announce that the strikes were intended to "cause immeasurable fear, rage and chaos in the 'SNL' writer's room." The sketch implied "SNL" intended to begin that week's episode by tackling the State of the Union instead.

Last week, Jost as Hegseth also declared in an opening sketch that "we're treating Iran like the breathalyzer in my car and blowing it the hell up."

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"SNL" will return with new episodes on April 4 with host Jack Black and musical guest Jack White.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'SNL' cold open mocks Trump over rising gas prices

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