Tom Hanks Revives David S. Pumpkins in SNL’s Trump Midterms Sketch

On October 31, Tom Hanks brought back David S. Pumpkins for Saturday Night Live’s Halloween opener, joined by returning cast members Mikey Day and Bobby Moynihan. The sketch began with a couple on a Halloween-themed amusement ride, where Kenan Thompson appeared as a Grim Reaper guiding them through spooky scenes.

James Austin Johnson then entered as President Donald Trump, breaking into the ride to complain about Republican polling ahead of the November 3 midterm elections. In the sketch, Trump said Texas was turning purple and compared the state’s political shift to the bruise on his hand.

The parody drew on Trump’s recent campaign-trail remarks about men’s physiques, with Johnson’s character joking that he had been admiring men’s backsides and might be gay. The sketch also mocked noises Trump has made during speeches and his comments about Republican candidates.

Trump’s character urged support for Texas Republican Senate candidate Ken Paxton over Democrat James Talarico, while making jokes about the two men’s appearances. The scene also featured Saidah Belo-Osagie as rapper Nicki Minaj, portrayed as a possible choice for press secretary, following jokes about Trump’s praise of her appearance.

The sketch ended with the Trump character urging viewers to vote Republican and criticizing Democrats. The Halloween opener combined the returning Pumpkins character with political jokes about Trump’s campaign messaging and the coming midterms.

SNL Turns Trump’s Midterm Panic and Campaign Rhetoric Into a Joke

On October 31, Saturday Night Live made Trump’s midterm anxiety the interruption to Tom Hanks’ return as David S. Pumpkins. James Austin Johnson’s Trump crashed a Halloween amusement-ride sketch to complain that Republicans were polling poorly before the November 3 elections.

The sketch leaned into the stakes Trump himself raised: the character warned that Texas could turn blue and pointed to his bruised hand as a comic comparison. It also parodied his recent comments about Republican candidates’ bodies, turning his remarks into a running joke about his interest in men’s backsides.

That is the sketch’s sharpest point: rather than let campaign rhetoric pass as ordinary political theater, it made the president’s own words the spectacle. Johnson’s character also made noises associated with Trump’s speeches and urged support for Ken Paxton over Democrat James Talarico, with jokes about their looks.

Saidah Belo-Osagie appeared as Nicki Minaj, portrayed as a possible press secretary after the sketch referenced her support for Trump. The character’s jokes about Minaj continued the bit’s focus on Trump’s comments about appearance. The scene closed with a demand for Republican votes and a swipe at Democrats, as the show’s Halloween parody made the approaching midterms its central target.

SNL’s Trump Sketch Trades Midterm Issues for Personal Mockery

On October 31, Saturday Night Live folded a Trump parody into Tom Hanks’ return as David S. Pumpkins, making Republican midterm prospects and the president’s campaign remarks the target of its Halloween opener. James Austin Johnson’s Trump interrupted the sketch to complain about poor polling and warn that Texas might turn blue.

The segment’s approach was unmistakably personal: it centered jokes on Trump’s comments about candidates’ bodies, his bruised hand and noises during speeches. Rather than focus on the election choices facing voters, the sketch made the president’s manner and appearance its material.

The parody also had Trump urge support for Ken Paxton over Democrat James Talarico, while joking about their looks. Saidah Belo-Osagie played Nicki Minaj as a possible press secretary, another jab tied to the president’s comments about appearance and Minaj’s support for him.

The closing call to vote Republican came alongside a dig at Democrats. The sketch therefore acknowledged the November 3 contest while presenting Trump’s campaign messaging through ridicule. For viewers who see political comedy as a substitute for engaging the arguments behind an election, the opener offered more personal mockery than policy debate.