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‘SNL’s rehash of the first presidential debate practically wrote itself

'It's pronounced Ji-na.'

 

Amrita Khalid

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Posted on Oct 2, 2016   Updated on May 25, 2021, 9:30 pm CDT

Who better than Alec Baldwin to play Donald Trump in Saturday Night Live’s lampooning of the first presidential debate? 

The 30 Rock star played opposite Kate McKinnon in the opening sketch of SNL’s season premiere, which debuted on Saturday night. Given Baldwin’s expertise in playing deeply flawed executives like Jack Donaghy, Trump was a natural fit. The nearly 10-minute sketch covered everything from Trump’s sniffling to the mic issues to his gross mispronunciation of “China”. 

 It was Baldwin’s first time playing the Republican presidential candidate on SNL. Show veterans Darrell Hammond and Taran Killam have had the honor of playing Trump in the past. 


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*First Published: Oct 2, 2016, 11:10 am CDT