“SNL” declares “public executions are back”

“Saturday Night Live” took aim at President Donald Trump‘s Nobel Peace Prize complaints and Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth‘s plans for a televised military execution, turning two of the administration’s latest controversies into punchlines.

Colin Jost opened Saturday’s show portraying Hegseth welcoming sailors home from the USS Abraham Lincoln, wearing an ammunition belt filled with miniature bottles of Fireball Cinnamon Whisky.

After congratulating the crew on completing thousands of combat missions with “zero casualties, zero flight mishaps, and zero working toilets,” Jost’s Hegseth offered an update on developments back home.

“In December, as we get into the Christmas spirit, we’re gonna execute a guy in a wheelchair on live TV,” he announced. “That’s right, public executions are back,” he continued, joking that anyone who survived the firing squad would have to fight boxer Jake Paul.

The sketch also mocked a controversial Department of War logo, with a sailor asking whether it featured a Nazi eagle. “It’s an American eagle with a Nazi vibe,” Jost’s Hegseth replied.

James Austin Johnson later appeared as Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., announcing plans to expand cold and flu season to include listeria, measles and “trench brain.”

Later, Jost returned to the Weekend Update desk, opening with what he called a “tragic developing story” involving Trump. “It’s that President Trump has sadly not won the Nobel Peace Prize,” Jost said, introducing a clip of the president complaining about the award’s recipient.

“He’s genuinely angry that he didn’t win the Peace Prize,” Jost said, pointing to Trump’s military actions before adding, “And he still thought, ‘This is my year.’” Jost compared Trump’s expectations to believing he might win an Oscar for *Tom & Jerry*.

Michael Che returned to the execution controversy, joking that the Pentagon’s proposed livestream would mark the first public execution in the United States since “a couple of weeks ago,” drawing groans from the audience.

Saturday’s episode was hosted by comedian Shane Gillis, with Rosalía as musical guest.

The episode also featured an unscripted moment when host Shane Gillis accidentally dropped an uncensored F-bomb during a Green Eggs and Ham parody. Gillis broke character after realizing his mistake, prompting cast member Mikey Day to incorporate the slip into the sketch. Gillis apologized during the show’s closing credits.

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