Cecily Strong returned to “Saturday Night Live” in the cold open, reprising her role as Jeanine Pirro. The sketch mocked Pirro’s recent appointment as interim US Attorney for Washington, D.C., and featured James Austin Johnson as President Donald Trump. Johnson’s Trump opened the segment by joking about his tariff policies and then announced Pirro’s new role.
“I’ve just appointed one of the loudest people I know to be the US Attorney in D.C.: Jeanine Pirro,” he said. Strong’s Pirro entered to applause and declared, “I’m so proud to be part of this group full of Russian assets, booze hounds, and people famous for the little baby animals they’ve killed.” Johnson praised Pirro as having “the most important quality I look for in a lawyer — she’s on TV.”
The sketch also featured Colin Jost as Pete Hegseth, Trump’s nominee for Defense Secretary. Strong continued a running gag, covering Jost’s Hegseth in wine.
Johnson concluded, “Folks, they’re not the A Team. They’re the AA Team.”
Strong’s Pirro returns to SNL
The episode, hosted by Walton Goggins, mixed political satire with personal humor.
Goggins joked about his newfound “sex symbol” status at age 53. “Some of my friends have even asked me, ‘Walton, what’s it like to become a sex symbol at 53 years old?’ If I’m being honest, it feels fantastic. At least it did until I Googled myself and read some of the headlines,” Goggins said.
The show also included a Mother’s Day tribute, during which cast members serenaded their real-life moms on stage. However, this heartwarming moment set up comedic twists later in the episode. Overall, the penultimate episode of SNL’s 50th season delivered its signature blend of current events commentary and outrageous comedy.
Strong’s energetic return and hilarious impersonations were highlights of the night.
