Alec Baldwin Says ‘SNL’ Tried to Invite Donald Trump Back
The animosity between SNL and Donald Trump isn’t going anywhere, but it’s hard to overlook the series’ role in normalizing the then-presidential candidate. Well, as it turns out, SNL apparently tried to mend fences with its fiercest critic, inviting Trump back alongside Alec Baldwin.
The Trump impersonator himself reveled the tidbit on Ellen, claiming that the NBC sketch comedy series had intended Trump to actually confront Baldwin during his February episode (h/t Vanity Fair):
I can’t imagine what it would be like if I met him [now], if I ran into him. When we did the show—when I hosted S.N.L. this season—we asked him to come. We invited him to come, we were so hopeful he would come, but he didn’t show up.
Obviously, there’s a history of SNL letting famous figures stand alongside their impersonators (Trump included), but it’s likely best our Tweeter-in-Chief declined the invitation. Any additional ratings surge wouldn’t offset the bad press of SNL granting such a divisive figure another platform, and cast have since been vocal that Trump was no picnic to work with.
In the meantime, SNL will proceed with Season 42’s final strike-averted shows, featuring Chris Pine, Melissa McCarthy and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, none of which are likely to make Trump too happy. Stay tuned in the meantime.
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