Here’s how past presidents have reacted to Saturday Night Live
By Matt Moore
After President Donald Trump once again attacked Saturday Night Live for making fun of him, we compare his reaction to past presidents.
Saturday Night Live has been on the air since 1975. In that time, they’ve seen countless individuals come in and out of the spotlight to provide material for the show’s sketches. Perhaps the biggest source of the show’s comedy has been the presidents of the United States.
From campaign stops to debates to every action taken in office, the presidents are under a microscope and for good reason. Saturday Night Live is right there with everyone else keeping an eye on what the president says or does. It’s the show’s job to take that information and spin it into entertainment.
That has typically meant highlighting a specific personality trait or exaggerating something about the president that everyone in the audience can recognize. It especially helps when the show features talented cast members able to nail down an impersonation.
It’s those impersonations that can get a reaction not only out of the audience but the president as well. Recently, President Donald Trump lashed out again at Saturday Night Live for using his national emergency press conference for laughs.
The idea of the most powerful man in the world getting so worked up over a comedy show seems bizarre. But plenty has been made about how Trump reacts to personal insults or any media that portrays him negatively.
But just how unique is Trump’s reaction compared to his predecessors? Trump himself hosted SNL as a candidate. Other presidents have appeared while campaigning or while in office. A return to Studio 8H seems unlikely for the 45th president. But did those visits mean that other presidents were accepting of SNL’s parodies and satire?