Saturday Night Live mocks Pete Hegseth and Donald Trump in midterm cold open

Saturday Night Live opened its October 3 episode with a cold open mocking Republican leaders, including Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth and President Donald Trump, ahead of the 2026 midterm elections. The Daily Beast, Variety, and The Wrap reported that the sketch featured cast member Colin Jost portraying Hegseth, while James Austin Johnson played Trump and Marcello Hernández played Marco Rubio. The Wrap and Deadline noted that the sketch focused on Republican desperation leading into the upcoming midterms. [1][3][4][5]

Variety reported that Jost's depiction of Hegseth targeted non-alcoholic beer during the sketch. The Wrap added that the cold open portrayed Hegseth, Trump, and Rubio begging voters for assistance ahead of the elections. According to The Wrap, the sketch featured jokes about presidential financial promises. [3][4]

As FTMQ News reported earlier, Hegseth serves as the United States secretary of defense, taking office in 2025. Hegseth recently attracted attention over comments regarding Pentagon policies, according to Military.com and The Daily Beast. [2][8][9]

The Wrap and Deadline reported that the late-night show continues to focus on current political material as the midterm elections approach. [4][5]