Here’s how past presidents have reacted to Saturday Night Live
By Matt Moore
Gerald Ford
President Gerald Ford had the tough task of setting the standard for how presidents reacted to Saturday Night Live. The show debuted in 1975 when Ford had been in office for barely a year.
SNL turned to Chevy Chase to portray Ford who chose to depict the commander-in-chief as clumsy. Chase’s Ford relied heavily on physical comedy and slapstick, often losing track of his papers, walking into things on stage, or fumbling with any and everything around him.
Chase didn’t do a voice or wear any particular wig or makeup to make himself look like Ford. Still, his version of the president was a popular feature during the early years of Saturday Night Live.
The version of President Ford on the show did not exactly align with the real Ford. Ford was a noted athlete, skilled at tennis and a college football standout. And while privately he was annoyed with Chase’s portryal, Ford publicly played along with the bit.
Chase was invited to the 1976 White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. Ford beat the comedian to the punch by scrambling his papers around and showing he could take the joke. The president also adapted Chase’s signature line from Weekend Update, saying to Chase: “I’m Gerald Ford and you’re not.”
Can you imagine President Donald Trump inviting Alec Baldwin to the White House Correspondent’s Dinner? Considering Trump skipped the first year that featured Michelle Wolf and the next one hosted by Hasan Minaj. And the fact that 2019 won’t feature a comedian, it’s clear that Ford isn’t an inspiration on Trump.