Donald Trump left a lasting impression on the “Saturday Night Live” crew when he hosted the sketch comedy show over a decade ago.
It was November 2015, and Trump was five months into his 2016 presidential campaign against Hillary Clinton.
Now, 18 months into a second term, his appearance on the long-running program has resurfaced.
For many, the moment serves as a reminder of Trump’s long history of flubbed lines, which began long before his teleprompter struggles. Trump has made improvising and veering off script a hallmark of his second term.
Former “SNL” cast member Pete Davidson recalled how Trump pulled a similar stunt to simply avoid reading in front of others.
Improvisation and a high predilection for creating distractions during scripted speeches have become hallmarks of Trump’s second stint in the White House.
Guest hosts are known for opening the show with a monologue and for participating in multiple sketches. As a result, hosts are expected to rehearse their lines with the cast. According to Davidson, Trump was not completely on board with the process.
During a 2018 appearance on “Open Late with Peter Rosenberg,” the comedian reflected on interacting with the real estate mogul ahead of his appearance in the Nov. 7, 2015, episode. “He was like weird all week. He, like, faked a phone call during the table read,” said Davidson.
View on Threads
“In the middle of the table read he like — he had a flip phone — and he just, right as we started, he was like, ‘Hello.’ He goes, ‘Oh, fantastic. ‘Oh, OK. Great,’ and then he hung up, and he goes, ‘Hey everybody, my book just went No. 1,’” the recollection continued.
Davidson added, “I swear it went like that. And we all were like, yo, that phone didn’t ring, and like, also, how did he have time to say that? Cause you answered and went, ‘Yup, oh my God.’”
The tale did not surprise Trump detractors. One person tweeted, “Classic Trump. From one lie to the next. He is constantly lying and believes everyone is as gullible as MAGA.”
“Trump is a narcissist,” a critic scoffed. “He probably felt inadequate in front of so many smart & witty writers. He had to do something to make himself feel more important. Faking a call sounds like Trump. Such a fragile ego.”
A third person said, “That’s crazy. Only a complete moron would do something like that.”
Hecklers often accuse Trump of being illiterate, noting his consistent stumbling over everyday words and how he makes up others.
Davidson contributed to the discourse in 2016. The comic was talking about the Republican’s 2015 “SNL” appearance with Opie Radio when he stated, “He doesn’t really know how to read, and he loves to improv.”
He doubled down on the claim. Davidson explained, “During, like, the table read…before he had to read each line, and he’s the host, so he’s in everything, he would go, ‘Uh, I’m not going to say this. I think I’m gonna say this the way I would’ve said this. Is that OK?’”
A fourth viewer assumed, “Trump can’t read that’s why he faked a call.”
In Trump’s defense, multiple people argued that the phone could have been on silent and rung without the cast noticing. Another person simply asked, “What does he not fake?”
Trump has had other public struggles while reading at state dinnner or in front of other officials.
Trump’s weakness was recently exposed when he appeared on second lady Usha Vance’s storytime YouTube series. Guests read books to early learners — Trump picked a photo book with limited words. Even then, he detoured from the author’s work.
