‘SNL': Democratic Candidates Crash Pence’s Coronavirus Press Conference (Video)
In the cold open of the latest “Saturday Night Live,” the show skewered Vice President Mike Pence and the fact that he’s been placed in charge of President Trump’s coronavirus task force. Then it mashed it up with a grab bag of the week’s political news, featuring the show’s versions of the Democratic primary candidates — including John Mulaney as the new Joe Biden.
The skit began with Beck Bennett as Pence giving a press conference to explain — and of course fail to reassure the country about — whether the Trump administration has a handle on the coronavirus outbreak. It didn’t help that he brought out Keenan Thompson as Secretary of Housing and Urban Development Ben Carson, who was there because he’s actually a doctor.
“This is something I actually do know about,” Thompson’s Carson said, “and in my opinion it’s gonna be baaaad.”
He then attempted to explain the threat posed by coronavirus with a photo of Stitch from Disney’s “Lilo and Stich.” “It looks like this. As you can see from his sharp teeth he’s a nasty little thing,” Thompson-as-Carson said.
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That’s when Bennett’s Pence took back over, telling Americans to take simple precautions, like “covering your mouth when you cough, and as always closing your eyes during intercourse.”
Thompson’s Carson then offered Americans a free MAGA sticker, though he admitted it would probably be several months late since “they are made in Wuhan, China.” Then he slunked off the stage mumbling, “it’s baaad.”
Pence then protested that “now is the time for unity and not the time to politicize this issue,” at which point the “SNL” versions of the Democratic hopefuls popped up, beginning with Fred Armisen’s Mike Bloomberg.
Bloomberg claimed that he got past security by coughing and making everyone avoid him, then said he’s the candidate to lead America out of the coronavirus crisis, “even if that candidate lacks charisma, or the ability to connect with human being.”
Next up, Kate McKinnon’s Elizabeth Warren showed up basically to menace Bloomberg as she’s expertly done during recent Democratic debates. Then Mulaney’s Joe Biden appeared, joking that he looks different because “the surgery is starting to settle.”
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Mulaney’s Biden then told an obviously false story about how “the year was 19-ticky tavvy and me and Nelson Mandela were traveling around South Africa ‘Green Book’-style.”
Then Larry David’s Bernie Sanders made the point that with coronavirus, “universal health care doesn’t sound too crazy now, does it?” Colin Jost’s Pete Buttigieg also showed up because “I’m a candidate too for the next three days.” Then Rachel Dratch’s Amy Klobuchar chastised Mayor Pete.
And near the end, David’s Sanders urged people to wash their hands: “I might get in trouble for saying this, but you know who was good at washing his hands? Joseph Stalin.” We see what you did there.
Watch the whole clip above.
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