Tom Hanks is under fire for portraying a racist Trump supporter during his appearance on the 50th anniversary of “Saturday Night Live.”
Over the weekend, Hanks reprised his role as “Doug,” a “Make America Great Again” hat wearing southerner featured in the popular “Black Jeopardy” sketch.
Hanks’ character answered a question correctly and then added that America would improve if more people attended church.
When Kenan Thompson, playing host Darnell Hayes, extended a congratulatory handshake, Hanks initially hesitated before reluctantly accepting after Thompson said, “It’s only a handshake.”
The moment, where Hanks’ character hesitated to shake hands, was seen by many as depicting Trump supporters in a racist light, sparking a wave of backlash online.
After the awkward handshake, Hanks character muttered “thank you, my brother,” and suggested that he would start a show called “White Jeopardy.”
The episode took repeated aim at President Donald Trump, kicking off with actor Steve Martin’s monologue.
Martin joked, “I can’t believe I made it here in time. It was only a few days ago that Lorne told me I was doing the monologue, and I was actually vacationing on a friend’s boat down in the Gulf of Steve Martin.”
Later, his “Only Murders in the Building” costar Martin Short joined him onstage, and Steve Martin quipped, “Do you have your passport on you? ICE, get him!”
This triggered a skit where ICE agents forcibly removed Short off the stage, prompting him to yell out, “No! I’ll name names! Mike Myers! Jim Carrey!”
Another a sketch parodying the musical “Les Miserables” featured cast members singing a rewritten line, “I dreamed a dream that King Kong died, then I remembered he’s in Florida.”
The show’s satirical tone continued in the Weekend Update segment, where Colin Jost introduced himself by saying, “It is an honor and a thrill to be hosting Weekend Update for the 50th, and if it was up to our president, final season of SNL.”
The storm surrounding Hanks wasn’t new either. Back in 2016, Hanks’s portrayal of Doug in a “Black Jeopardy” sketch also stirred public debate.
Donning the iconic MAGA hat, Doug introduced himself by saying, “They told me a fella could win some money, so let’s win me some money. Get ’er done.”
The character went on to comment about his appreciation for Tyler Perry films because they combine laughs and prayer.
When Thompson approached him with an outstretched hand and said, “I really appreciate you sayin’ that. I like that,” Hanks initially recoiled before giving in and visibly trembling as their handshake occurred.
This time, the social media backlash was swift. Clay Travis tweeted, “For its 50 year anniversary special, SNL had Tom Hanks play a racist Trump supporter afraid to shake a black man’s hand.”
“Fun fact: Trump’s 2024 election win was the LEAST racially divisive American election since 1964,” the “Outkick” founder added.
Another pointedly remarked, “Tom Hanks and SNL thought it would be hilarious for him to put on a MAGA hat and act out a stereotype of half the country in a desperate attempt to cope with Democrats’ crushing defeat in November. Not surprising no one watches SNL or NBC anymore.”
Amidst the post-show critique, a separate incident added another layer to SNL’s anniversary celebration.
Comedian Jerry Seinfeld made headlines over the weekend after a viral video showed him shutting down an anti-Israel activist outside the venue.
The now-viral video begins with the antagonist, calling himself “Subway DJ,” asking for a selfie with Seinfeld. The comedian obliges.
Jerry Seinfeld defeats an ambush:
“I don’t care about Palestine.”
Legend. pic.twitter.com/u3YdDPjp15
— dahlia kurtz ✡︎ דליה קורץ (@DahliaKurtz) February 16, 2025
However, as the activist poses for the photo while flashing a peace sign, he comments, “Free Palestine.”
Seemingly unbothered, Seinfeld responds with one of the shortest comebacks possible, saying, “I don’t care about Palestine,” as he walks away alongside his wife, Jessica Seinfeld.
The video concludes with Subway DJ reacting dismissively by saying, “That’s sad,” while pouting.
The clip was reportedly taken outside Radio City Music Hall, where celebrities gathered for the SNL event.
Meanwhile, elsewhere in New York City, another unexpected moment came when Vice President Kamala Harris took to the stage—not SNL, but Broadway.
Harris delivered a pep talk to the cast of “A Wonderful World,” a Louis Armstrong-inspired musical, after being told that they were “spiritually tired” due to political stress caused by Trump’s administration.
NEW: Kamala Harris gives inspiring speech to the cast of ‘A Wonderful World’ on Broadway, inspires by noting how “nature abhors a vacuum.”
“When we think about these moments where we see things that are being taken but also let’s see it as you know, nature abhors a vacuum.”
“So… pic.twitter.com/IinA9ElmLV
— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) February 16, 2025
Harris launched into her signature word salad rhetoric, starting with, “And the way that I see it also is that, when we think about these moments where we see things that are being taken, but also let’s see it, you know, nature abhors a vacuum. So where, so where there’s a vacancy, let’s fill it, right?”
The clip, posted later to Instagram, juxtaposed Harris’s husband, Douglas Emhoff, nodding along as cast members murmured in agreement with her broader commentary on rights and their expansion.
The former vice president concluded by stating, “We have to be clear-eyed. And it doesn’t mean we don’t see the beauty in everything. These things all co-exist, but I believe we fight for something, not against something.” The cast applauded Harris, thanking her for her message.
However, on social media, critics weren’t as kind. “Kamala Harris hit Broadway and, of course, served up her signature word salad. A friendly reminder of what we dodged in the White House,” one user commented.
Another added, “Drunk auntie and her entourage of people that get paid to go ‘Mmmm.’”