Two nights before its official election special, the cast of “Saturday Night Live” opened the show with Kate McKinnon and Alec Baldwin as their now-iconic “SNL” renditions of Hillary Clinton and Donald Trump.
“It may be the bottom of the ninth and it’s tied and it’s raining, but this Chicago Cub is gonna bring it home,” said McKinnon’s Clinton in response to her lead over Trump narrowing according to polls.
Ahead of guest host Benedict Cumberbatch’s monologue, Cecily Strong portrayed an exhausted and irritable Erin Burnett of CNN. Strong’s Burnett dealt with Baldwin’s Trump suddenly realizing that Twitter was public — and somehow, America was still voting for him.
“These e-mails are very bad for you, Hillary,” Baldwin’s Trump said. “That’s why I never, ever use e-mail. It’s too risky. instead I use a very private, very secure site where one can write whatever they want to and no one will read it. It’s called Twitter.”
“Mr. Trump, everyone can see your tweets,” Strong’s Burnett interjected.
“Really? And I’m still in this thing? America, you must really hate this lady,” Trump responded.
The show also touched on the FBI’s involvement with Donald Trump, insinuating that Trump was basically in bed with the FBI, and taking a shot at the media’s lack of coverage. In response, McKinnon’s asked for more Trump tapes, saying, “Gimme the N!”
As Strong’s Burnett continued to grill McKinnon’s Clinton, Baldwin’s Trump kissed an FBI agent, Putin, and a KKK member. McKinnon’s Clinton expressed surprise at the fact that Trump was even so popular.
Baldwin agreed: ” I just feel gross all the time. Don’t you guys feel gross all the time about this?”
Exasperated and tired, the two candidates then came together, and made an escape from the studio — with an inspiring montage that saw the two making peace with each other’s supporters — before Baldwin and McKinnon urged viewers to vote, and introduced the show.