'SNL' Skewers Trump's $5,000 Promise as a Bribe in Mock Campaign Ad

Saturday Night Live mocked President Donald Trump's $5,000 payment promise to Americans if Republicans win the midterms, portraying it as a bribe in a cold open sketch. The segment featured Trump, played by James Austin Johnson, making his final campaign pitch. In the sketch, Trump said the offer was "not a bribe because I have no intention of following through on that promise." He urged supporters to "pretend I'm on the ballot" and used imagination to build a "MAGA nation," while also taking jabs at Texas Senate candidate Ken Paxton. The sketch also highlighted Trump's election denialism, with him recording identical victory and defeat messages claiming "We won. Nobody has ever won so much before." The segment aired ahead of the midterm elections.