“Saturday Night Live” rolled out two President Bidens – one from the present day and one from eight years ago – as the show targeted the “in the dumpster” ratings of the commander-in-chief.
The cold open began with White House press secretary Jen Psaki walking into the Oval Office to talk to Biden, played by James Austin Johnson, about the ratings from his CNN Town Hall last week.
”Jen Psaki, you’re dynamite in those briefings, with your quips and one-liners,” Biden told Psaki, played by Chloe Fineman. ”What do you call those zingers?”
“Facts,” she said.
“Lay some of that truth on me,” Biden tells her.
“OK, your CNN Town Hall was watched by no one and your approval rating is in the dumpster,” she said.
Biden then comes out from behind the desk and said, “People used to like me. The press would call me Uncle Joe.”
“Where the hell did that guy go?” he said.
At that point, Biden as vice president played by Jason Sudeikis walks on, wearing a bomber jacket, aviator sunglasses and using his pistols to fire off shots.
“I’m you from eight years ago, man. The ghost of Biden past,” Vice President Biden tells the present-day president, then shouts, “Boo!”
”How can you be me? You seem so happy, so carefree. So, what’s the word I’m looking for?” President Biden said.
“Lucid,” the Sudeikis Biden answers.
“Yeah, partner. From where I’m from. We’re still VP. Easiest gig in the world. We’re like America’s whacky neighbor, you know? Just pop in with an ice cream cone, some aviator shades, do some finger guns, you know? Shake a few hands, rub a few shoulders,” he continues.
”Well, you can’t do that anymore,” the Johnson Biden said.
“What, which one? Rubbing shoulders or shaking hands?” Sudeikis’ Biden asked.
“Apparently both,” the president said.
Sudeikis then rubs the present-day Biden’s shoulders and smells his hair, a reference to the president approaching women from behind and smelling their hair.
“The last president ruined everything,” present-day Biden said. “They hung out with porn stars, they served McDonald’s at the White House, got into a fight with the pope.”
“Wow! Hillary got awesome,” the eight-years ago Biden exclaimed.