In the pre-credits sequence of the latest episode of US sketch comedy show Saturday Night Live, actor Melissa McCarthy was back in her role as White House press secretary Sean Spicer. But this time she was much calmer because there is a “new Spicy now”.
After announcing US President Donald Trump’s visit to Central Asia and being unable to pronounce any of the leader’s names, Spicer throws the floor open for questions. A New York Times reporter asks the question on everybody’s minds: What is Trump going to do now that his Muslim ban has been rejected?
McCarthy’s Spicer responds by saying that Trump will see the judge in the people’s court, referring to the real-life US president’s tweet after the ban was struck down.
Spicer goes on to explain “extreme vetting” using her “dollies”, listing out all the (mostly fictional) terrorist incidents “that you never report on”.
SNL’s satire seems to be having an effect. Not only does it make their target extremely angry but, according to a report in The Guardian, McCarthy’s takedown of the White House press secretary has even damaged Spicer’s standing in Trump’s eyes.
By that token, though, it is Trump’s standing that should be damaged in Trump’s eyes first.
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