'SNL' takes on Pam Bondi's firing by President Trump in cold open
'SNL' takes on Pam Bondi's firing by President Trump in cold open
Brendan Morrow, USA TODAY Sun, April 5, 2026 at 4:36 PM UTC
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"Saturday Night Live" is bidding farewell to Attorney General Pam Bondi.
The show kicked off its April 4 episode with a sketch tackling the news that President Donald Trump fired Bondi. In an unusual move for "SNL," though, it didn't feature James Austin Johnson's impression of Trump, who has become a cold open staple.
Instead, it depicted an NCAA Final Four post-game show and centered on Charles Barkley, played by Kenan Thompson, going off script several times to offer potentially controversial commentary on various non-basketball topics, including Bondi's ouster.
"As attorney general, Pam Bondi was, and I don't say this often, terrible," Thompson as Barkley said. "It is a shame when somebody gets fired, but we should all be glad that that freckle-chested dragon lady is gone."
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Not long after, Bondi, played by Ashley Padilla, entered to offer a rebuttal.
"The truth is, I was amazing at my job, and I am proud to say I made history as the first woman ever to be fired as attorney general," she said. "I shattered that glass exit door!"
But Padilla's Bondi quickly broke down in tears, saying that she already misses her job and declaring, "They threw my headshot in the trash like it was the Epstein files!"
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The sketch also briefly referenced a recent report from the Daily Mail, which has not been independently verified by USA TODAY, that former Department of Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem's husband Bryon Noem practices cross-dressing. Thompson's Barkley said that Noem's husband "looks like he's starring in 'Big Momma's House 4.' "
Jeremy Culhane as Bruce Pearl, Ashley Padilla as Pam Bondi, and Kam Patterson as Kenny Smith on "Saturday Night Live" on April 4, 2026.
Another one of Barkley's hot takes in the sketch was that the Artemis II space mission is a waste of money. "They ain't even going to the moon! They're just flying around the moon," he said. "What's the point of that? It's like telling your kids you're going to Disney World, and then you just take them to Goofy Lot D and go home."
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This week's "SNL" cold open was a break in tradition after several years of Easter episodes that began with a sketch where Johnson as Trump delivered an Easter message. The episode also came just a few weeks after a cold open where Padilla played another fired member of the Trump administration, starring as Noem in the first episode after her ouster.
Jack Black hosted "SNL" with musical guest Jack White. This was the first new episode since March 14; the show went on a brief hiatus following its Harry Styles episode.
"SNL" will be back with another new episode next week, with Colman Domingo making his hosting debut alongside musical guest Anitta. The season will wrap sometime in May.
Contributing: Kate Perez, USA TODAY
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 'SNL' cold open tackles Pam Bondi firing, Kristi Noem husband
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
