Who will play Donald Trump during Saturday Night Live season 50?

Love him or hate him, Donald Trump is distinct. He cuts such a unique profile, and speaks in such a specific cadence, that everybody walking the planet can do a Trump impression. The trick, of course, is to do a good one.

The quest for the perfect Trump impression has been something Saturday Night Live has spent the last decade in the midst of. The sketch show has gone multiple routes with their Trump material. They went the celebrity route, calling upon Alec Baldwin to play Trump between 2016 and 2020.

SNL has been making fun of Donald Trump since 1988

Jason Sudeikis and Taran Killam have also taken cracks at playing the Donald, in 2012 and 2015, respectively. The former is the first cast member who got to do impressions of both Trump and Biden (what range). Then, of course, there are the OGs. Trump has a public figure for decades, so SNL stars have gotten to poke fun at him as far back as 1988.

Phil Hartman was the first cast member to attempt a Trump impression, and he held down the part until 1990. Darrell Hammond was the longest-tenured Trump, eliciting laughs with his spot on vocal cadence from 1999 to 2011, and then again from 2015 to 2016.

James Austin Johnson has played Trump since 2021

The question fans have, though, is who will assume duties of the Trump material in 2024-25? When SNL returns for its landmark fiftieth season, which cast member will be entrusted with real life content that's sure to be bonkers. The answer is James Austin Johnson.

Johnson has been playing Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live since 2021. He's been described by Vanity Fair as the "best Trump impersonator" in the world, and all it takes is a single sketch to make it clear why. The cast member has an innate understanding of the President's speech patterns, and has even detailed the ways in which Trump's voice has changed over the years.

Johnson may not bring the celebrity of a Baldwin or the silliness of a Hammond, but rest assured, SNL's Trump material is in good hands.