“SNL” mocked the obscure conservative news network Newsmax by looking at its vehemently pro-Trump bent through the prism of sports. And, delightfully, this skit came with quite the enthusiastic performance from this week’s host, Timothee Chalamet.
With Donald Trump continuing to refuse to admit he lost the election — which is what happened — a lot of conservatives are being seduced by all these conspiracy theories that attempt to explain how he could have actually won. It’s a drumbeat that Newsmax is continuing to march to even now.
In this “SNL” sketch, Newsmax has created its own sports channel, dubbed Sportsmax. This spinoff network gives the New York Jets the same treatment that Newsmax has given Trump: insisting that the Jets have actually won every game this season, when, in fact, they have lost every game this season.
The highlight of the sketch, which you can watch at the top of this article, comes from Chalamet and “SNL” cast member Pete Davidson, who chime in as psychotic Jets fans who have brought “sworn affidavits” from other Jets fans who swear the team hasn’t lost any games this season. Chalamet was wearing a Jets “Three-peat” t-shirt that claimed the Jets won the Super Bowl in 2016, 2017 and 2018. The Jets have won the Super Bowl only once — in 1968.
The Sportsmax host, played by “SNL” regular Alex Moffat, starts the conversation by saying that “it’s being reported that on November 29th the Jets lost to the Dolphins 20 to 3,” a comment phrased to make the viewer doubt the “official” account of the game.
Chalamet wasn’t having it and began his protest with a fallacy that is common among election conspiracies: if people believe the conspiracy is real, then it must have some credibility.
“Listen! I have in my hand right here sworn affidavits from 500 Jets fans who swear they witnessed the Jets win!” Chalamet said, a reference to White House Press Secretary Kayleigh McEnany’s habit of waving around papers during TV interviews.
Davidson chimed in: “There’s eight million Jets fans out there. Eight million! They have nothing to gain by lying about this!”
“Hold on, hold on,” Chalamet said. “You’re gonna tell eight million hard-working fans that the Jets didn’t actually beat the Dolphins 90 to nothing?”
To that, Moffat held up his hands. “I would never do that.”
From there, the “SNL” skit pretty effectively summed up the flimsy logic that drives so many Americans to continue to deny the reality that Trump lost the election.
“Let’s look at this logically, OK? Only a really bad team would only score three points in a football game. And the Jets are the greatest team ever. So something’s not adding up here!” Chalamet shrieked.
“See, the whole house of cards collapses!” Davidson followed up.
Since such conspiracies usually come with big predictions for the future, Chalamet delivered one.
“Long story short, the Jets are going to the Super Bowl! That’s a promise!” he yelled.
Davidson added with a Trump-ish insistence that Jets fans spend money based on this train of thought.
“Place your bets now, people!”