Donald Trump has reposted a Saturday Night Live UK spoof mocking Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.
The UK version of the longstanding US comedy show debuted over the weekend (March 21), with Tina Fey hosting the inaugural episode alongside musical guest Wet Leg.
The show began with a cold open featuring cast member George Fouracres as Starmer alongside Hammed Animashaun as Deputy Prime Minister David Lammy.
In the sketch, Starmer is apprehensive about having to tell Trump that he doesn’t want to join the Iran war.
“Oh, golly! What if Donald shouts at me? What do I say Lammy?” he asks, before Lammy replies: “Just be yourself, Prime Minister! Yourself is who everyone likes.”
After cutting off a call with Trump in fear before it can properly begin, he calls Trump “that scary, scary, wonderful President”, before enlisting a Gen Z adviser (Jack Shep) that helps him to leave a voice note for the President that compares their relationship to Friends‘ Ross and Rachel being on a break.
Trump has since shared the clip on his Truth Social platform, though without any further comment.
It comes amid a strain in the pair’s relationship since the war in Iran, with the UK’s initial decision not to let the US use its bases leading Trump to say Starmer was “no Winston Churchill”. Trump has also criticised the UK and other NATO members for not helping with re-opening of the Strait of Hormuz, calling them “cowards”.
The debut episode also featured SNL‘s traditional Weekend Update segment hosted by Ania Magliano and Paddy Young, which featured jokes aimed at the former Prince Andrew and the Beckhams. Wet Leg also performed songs ‘Mangetout’ and ‘Catch These Fists’ from recent album ‘Moisturizer‘.
Fans have given a mixed reaction to SNL UK, ranging from “a tough watch” to “fantastic”, while critical reception was similar, The Guardian saying “it felt refreshing to see an ambition/piece of madness like retooling a legacy US brand for this septic isle even being attempted. It did not fail.”
Like the US version, each episode has a different host and musical guest each week, with Jamie Dornan and Wolf Alice lined-up for this weekend, and Riz Ahmed and Kasabian the following episode.