Saturday Night Live opened its first episode following the Democrats’ sweeping midterm victories with a parade of political impersonations, but the biggest surprise came when the real James Talarico walked onto the stage.
The Texas senator-elect appeared during the show’s November 7 cold open, interrupting James Austin Johnson’s portrayal of President Donald Trump just as the comedian was mocking newly elected Democrats.
Johnson’s Trump had been running through a list of incoming senators when he reached Talarico, whom he referred to as “Talafreako.”
Suddenly, the real Talarico stepped into the scene.
“That’s Senator Talafreako,” he replied.
The unexpected entrance brought loud applause and cheers from the studio audience, forcing the newly elected senator to wait before continuing.
The moment came just days after Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton in Texas, becoming the first Democrat elected to the U.S. Senate from the state since 1988.
The cold open had already taken aim at both parties.
Kenan Thompson portrayed House Democratic leader Hakeem Jeffries, while Sarah Sherman played Senate Democratic leader Chuck Schumer. The two characters celebrated their party’s congressional victories while joking about whether it was finally time to make room for a younger generation of Democrats.
The suggestion drew cheers from the audience — until the fictional Democratic leaders made it clear they had no intention of stepping aside.
Then Johnson’s Trump interrupted the celebration, sarcastically taking credit for the Democratic victories by blaming his own administration’s economy and war.
The sketch also featured Jeremy Culhane as Vice President JD Vance and Colin Jost as Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth.
Jost’s Hegseth joked about his loyalty to Trump, while Johnson’s president mocked his own political predicament and the prospect of working with a younger Democratic Congress.
The sketch eventually returned to the incoming Democratic senators, setting up Talarico’s surprise appearance.
Once the cheering subsided, the senator-elect introduced himself with a joke about his campaign’s fundraising messages.
“Hi America, I’m James Talarico, or the guy who’s been texting you everyday, asking you for five dollars,” he said.
Johnson’s Trump responded, “In this economy, who can blame you?”
Talarico then appeared to turn the exchange toward a more serious message.
“But I think, Mr. President, if we can work together, we can make life better for everyday Americans,” he said.
He continued by arguing that Americans wanted something new and different.
But instead of delivering a conventional political speech, Talarico turned the line into a joke about the television show itself.
“It’s clear people want something new, they want something different. I’m talking, of course, about SNL’s cold opens. How many of these Trump freezes are they gonna do?”
“Infinity!” Johnson’s Trump declared.
The exchange poked fun at the show’s recurring habit of having its Trump impersonator interrupt scenes while the other characters remain frozen in place.
Talarico and Johnson then joined together for the show’s traditional opening announcement.
“Well in that case, there’s only one thing left to say: Live from New York, it’s Saturday Night!”
The appearance marked a striking television moment for Talarico, who had faced difficulties getting certain late-night interviews onto broadcast television during his Senate campaign because of election-related broadcasting concerns.
Now, days after his election victory, he was standing on one of American television’s most recognizable comedy stages.
The sketch also highlighted the generational theme running through the post-election episode: longtime Democratic leaders celebrating their party’s victories while a newly elected senator from Texas drew one of the night’s most enthusiastic audience reactions.
And while the fictional Trump spent much of the sketch complaining about the political changes coming to Washington, Talarico delivered the final joke alongside him.
The result was an unusual post-election crossover between politics and late-night comedy — with the real senator-elect briefly taking center stage in a sketch otherwise dominated by impersonations.
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