Alec Baldwin stars as Fox News’ Bret Baier in ‘SNL’ return

AlecBaldwin is back on “Saturday Night Live” − but not as former President Donald Trump.
The “30 Rock” star returned to the NBC comedy show to play Bret Baier in a sketch parodying the Fox News host’s recent interview with Vice President Kamala Harris (played by Maya Rudolph). Baier was portrayed as combative toward the Democratic presidential nominee, interrupting her throughout the conversation and cornering her with unfair questions.
“Thank you, Bret,” Rudolph’s Harris said as she sat down. “The pleasure is neither of ours.”
“When I interviewed President Trump, my first question was, ‘What do you think is the most important issue facing our nation?’ ” Baldwin’s Baier said. “So my first question for you is, ‘Give me the exact number of murderers you let loose in this country.’ ”
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After Baier would not allow Harris to finish her answer, she asked him to listen, to which he responded, “Well, I can’t, because I’m talking.”
Later, Baldwin’s Baier played misleading clips of President Joe Biden (Dana Carvey) appearing to talk about the vice president when he was actually referring to something else. “Everything she touches will be destroyed,” Biden said. “No joke. Watch out, Florida!” Harris pointed out that Biden was “clearly talking about the hurricane.”
“Four years ago, it was amazing,” Biden said in another clip. “It was the guy you wanted. But now we’ve got this girl, and people are going, what’s she doing here? Come on!” Biden was revealed to be talking about Joaquin Phoenix’s “Joker” movie sequel “Folie à Deux,” which introduced Lady Gaga as Harley Quinn.
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The sketch also spoofed the idea that Harris was going out of her way to get a viral moment from the interview. Turning to the camera as a TikTok filter took over the screen, she spouted off memes like “very demure, very mindful” and “in da clurb, we all fam.”
Clips of Trump (James Austin Johnson) were played during the sketch, including two showing him dancing in a spoof of a recent town hall where the former president swayed to music for an extended period of time after medical emergencies disrupted the event. Rudolph’s Harris mocked Trump for dancing to “Y.M.C.A.” and said he doesn’t realize the song “is a gay anthem.”
The sketch concluded with Baier repeatedly interrupting Harris as she tried to explain why Americans should vote for her, only to wrap the interview before she could get her answer out. “That was fun, right?” Baldwin’s Baier said. “I had fun.”
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This was Baldwin’s first time back on “SNL” since the involuntary manslaughter case against the “Rust” star and producer was abruptly dismissed in July amid allegations that prosecutors withheld evidence. The actor had been charged in connection with the fatal shooting of cinematographer Halyna Hutchins on the film’s set in 2021.
He formerly played Trump on “SNL” and won an Emmy for the performance in 2017. Johnson has been playing Trump on “SNL” since 2021.
Michael Keaton hosted Saturday’s episode and in his monologue was interrupted by Mikey Day and Andy Samberg doing their impressions of Beetlejuice. “Don’t you normally play (Harris’ husband and second gentleman) Doug Emhoff in the cold opens?” Keaton asked Samberg, who explained, “Uh, yeah, the writers couldn’t jam him in this week, so here we find ourselves.”
“SNL” will return next week with host John Mulaney and musical guest Chappell Roan.
Contributing: David Jackson, USA TODAY