‘SNL’ Season Finale Cold Open Sees James Austin Johnson’s Trump Introduce VP Short List – From Kristi Noem to Hannibal Lecter | Video

James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump returned to “Saturday Night Live” for one more appearance in the Season 49 finale, with the cold open spoofing one of the former president’s many rants outside his criminal fraud trial. And, during this particular press conference, he ran through his shortlist for VP — from Kristi Noem to Hannibal Lecter.

To kick off his speech, the fake Trump noted that he was coming to viewers live from “my cage at the zoo,” speaking behind the barricades outside the courthouse. Naturally, he acknowledged the gag order put on him, though he complained that it “sounds like a challenge on RuPaul” more than anything else.

After following suit of the real Trump and complaining about how unfair the trial is to him, the fake Trump brought out his “short bus,” er, short list of VP candidates, though he caveated that the actual choice would be “determined by the winner of the Jake Paul-Mike Tyson fight.”

First up was Tim Scott, played once again by Devon Walker. He vowed to help Trump earn the Black vote, which was really just his own vote. Then, Trump brought out Kristi Noem, played by Heidi Gardner.

Naturally, she entered holding a gun to the head of a stuffed dog. She was quick to reassure people that it was a fake dog — but a real gun.

At that, Trump admitted he was conflicted about choosing Noem, joking that “she jumped the shark but she shot the dog.” That said, Trump also felt that shooting a dog was “pretty awesome.”

Finally, he brought out Hannibal Lecter — or, as the real Trump referred to him, the “late, great Hannibal Lecter” — played (while yes, strapped to a board) by Michael Longfellow.

You can watch part of the cold open in the video embed above.

The post ‘SNL’ Season Finale Cold Open Sees James Austin Johnson’s Trump Introduce VP Short List – From Kristi Noem to Hannibal Lecter | Video appeared first on TheWrap.