Saturday Night Live will 'reinvent' Donald Trump impression in season 50

Saturday Night Live has been satirizing Donald Trump consistently for a decade. There have been lots of comedians who have played the ex-President, most notably Darrell Hammond and Alec Baldwin. It has become a staple of the show, but SNL boss Lorne Michaels promises not to rest on laurels.

Michaels opened up about the show's election coverage ahead of its 50th season, and he teased a complete "reinvention" of the Trump character. His reasoning? Things have changed. The depiction of Trump in different seasons has been dependent on how the former President is perceived. The same will be true for the upcoming season, or so he told The Hollywood Reporter.

Lorne Michaels has tweaked the show's version of Trump

The SNL boss praised cast member James Austin Johnson for his performance as Trump in season 49, but noted that the show may need something different moving forward. He described Johnson's version of Trump as "diminished," and believes that a new approach will be necessary as the election approaches:

"We are going to have to reinvent it again because, well, you saw the debate. One of the great parts of show business is that you can’t come back with the same show. "

Johnson will remain part of the Saturday Night Live cast in season 50, but Lorne Michaels kept a tight lip when asked whether the comedian would continue to portray Trump. Michaels was similarly silent when asked whether Alec Baldwin would return. Obviously, based on Baldwin's recent legal troubles, that would be a trickier proposition.

Michaels kept quiet on who will play JD Vance

Regardless, the SNL boss vowed to not give anything away ahead of the season 50 premiere. "I think James will be there," he told THR. "But I don’t want to get into what I’m doing." He also played coy on the matter of who will play Trump's running mate, JD Vance.

There's been widespread speculation as to who could capture Vance's specific aura, but Michaels sidestepped the question completely and focused on the Presidential candidates instead. "I think we have the people to play [the candidates] and it should be fun," he concluded.

Saturday Night Live airs its season 50 premiere on September 28.