Photo by: Will Heath/NBC(NEW YORK) — It was a hilarious tale of two competing town halls as Saturday Night Live‘s cold open took aim at Thursday’s drastically different events featuring Joe Biden and President Donald Trump.
The two events were a topic of discussion even before the two contenders took their respective stages, with NBC facing a backlash for scheduling its town hall with President Trump opposite Biden’s previously planned town hall, moderated by George Stephanopoulos — played by Mikey Day.
Kate McKinnon, playing Today anchor and “surprise bad**s” Savannah Guthrie, who moderated the NBC event, declaring, “If you are angry at NBC for doing this town hall, just let me get a few questions in, and I think you will thank me.”
The bit poked fun at the candidates’ contrasting styles: a long-winded Biden — played once again by Jim Carrey — singing “Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood,” the theme from Fred Rogers’ long-running PBS kids show Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood, and even donning a sweater, as Rogers was famous for doing.
Alec Baldwin’s Trump, meanwhile, repeatedly mispronouncing Guthries name, while hurling a barrage of accusations aimed at Biden and former president Barack Obama.
Recalling a viral moment from Trump’s town hall, McKinnon’s Guthrie chastises Baldwin’s Trump over his penchant for re-tweeting conspiracy theories, saying, “You can’t just do things like that. You are not just someone’s crazy uncle.”
Baldwin responds with “Right now is a preview of Thanksgiving dinner, and a lot of American households have crazy uncles. Stand back and stand by.”
Maya Rudolph also made an appearance as Senator Kamala Harris.
Saturday’s show was hosted by Issa Rae with musical guest Justin Bieber.