Saturday Night Live (SNL) roasted President Donald Trump‘s tariff speech with a callback to the rumors about Haitian immigrants eating pets in Springfield, Ohio, which made headlines before the election.
Newsweek has contacted the White House via email for a response to the SNL skit.
The Context
The president announced on Wednesday that the U.S. would impose a 10-percent “baseline” tariff on virtually all imports and singled out roughly 60 countries for what he described as “discounted reciprocal tariffs.”
He said these “reciprocal” tariffs were based on duties those countries imposed on the United States. The White House clarified later that the formula it used was based on just two variables: the U.S.’s trade deficit with a foreign country divided by that country’s exports to the U.S.
What To Know
SNL mocked Trump’s “historically awesome speech” in the Rose Garden at the White House, with James Austin Johnson acting as the president.
The numbers mean “we’re gonna make America wealthy again—MAWA,” he said. “You know, you’re gonna check your stock portfolio in a couple of days and think ‘I’m almost too wealthy.’ We’re doing MAWA.
“But before that, we’re doing MAGDA—Make America Great Depression Again—it’ll be better than great, it’ll be a fantastic, unbelievable Great Depression the likes of which you’ve never seen before. We like to say, ‘The likes of which you’ve never seen before.'”
Johnson continued: “You know this depression is gonna be so great, we’re gonna be the ones eating the cats and the dogs—that’s gonna be so fun. Low and slow, you’ve gotta braise him, you know.”
This was a reference to last September, when Springfield, Ohio, became the center of a political firestorm after unfounded rumors spread that Haitian migrants had been killing pets and park birds for food.
City officials quickly debunked these stories, but they were repeated by Trump, Vice President JD Vance and Elon Musk.
Who Played Trump, Musk on ‘SNL’?
Johnson, who has been a cast member of SNL since 2021, played Trump. He was sporting a blond wig, a suit and a red tie and mimicked the president’s speech patterns and cadence.
Mike Myers, who was a cast member on the show from 1989 to 1995, returned to SNL to play Musk.
President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington D.C. President Donald Trump holds a signed executive order during an event to announce new tariffs in the Rose Garden of the White House on April 2, 2025, in Washington D.C. AP
What People Are Saying
The White House has defended Trump’s tariff measures, saying in a press release: “For the first time in decades, the United States will see fair trade as President Donald J. Trump announces tariffs to level the playing field for American workers and businesses.
“Despite the rhetoric from politicians and the media, studies have repeatedly shown tariffs are an effective tool for achieving economic and strategic objectives—just as they did in President Trump’s first term.”
Elon Musk, who heads Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency, said he hopes for a “zero-tariff situation” between Europe and the U.S.
He said in a video-link interview with Italy’s Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini: “At the end of the day, I hope it’s agreed that both Europe and the United States should move ideally, in my view, to a zero-tariff situation, effectively creating a free-trade zone between Europe and North America.”
What Happens Next
A 25-percent tariff on auto imports that was previously announced went into effect on Thursday. Trump’s 10-percent “baseline” began on Saturday and his “discounted reciprocal” tariffs kick in on April 9.
