In a politically-skewed seven-minute opener on the NBC sketch show, the US comedian warned he had a lot to unpack in his monologue, saying, “there’s a lot going on in the news, it’s so crazy out there.”
“So much security. I had to walk by a bunch of baby oil sniffing dogs [to get in here],” he joked, referencing the 1000 bottles of lubricant federal agents discovered at Sean “Diddy” Combs’ properties earlier this year.
“I really feel sorry for [Thompson’s] family. Everybody’s fixated on how good-looking this guy [Mangione] looks … If he looked like Jonah Hill, no one would care,” Rock continued.
Chris Rock made a dig at 21 Jump Street actor Jonah Hill that referenced Luigi Mangione (pictured), the 26-year-old man arrested over the death of UnitedHealthcare CEO Brian Thompson. Photo / Pennsylvania Department of Corrections
“They’d already given him the chair already - he’d be dead. But he actually killed a man - a man with a family, a man with kids. I have condolences. This is a real person, you know?”
Rock concluded, shifting the joke to Thompson, “But you also got to go, ‘You know, sometimes drug dealers get shot.’”
Rock then took aim at Trump, targeting the President’s staunch deportation policy.
“Menendez brothers are getting out of jail just in time to get deported. Trump is going to deport their a**, you murdering Mexicans,” Rock joked.
The actor found plenty of ammunition in Trump’s friendship with Tesla founder Elon Musk, the latter of whom Rock pointed out was “African-American.” Musk hails from Pretoria, South Africa.
“Trump is not playing man. This time is different. He’s working with the number one African-American in the world. The richest African-American in the world, Elon Musk. That’s right. He is African-American. Elon’s got more kids than the Cleveland Browns,” he said.
Pop star Lopez was collateral in the next joke, with Rock continuing, “Nobody knows how to get rid of people like a South African. JLo’s gonna marry Ben [Affleck] again just so she can stay in the country.
“I know she’s not Mexican, but Trump don’t know that.”
Chris Rock also made a dig at Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck during the monologue. Photo / Getty Images
Rock also jokingly attempted to water down fears over Trump’s presidency, unravelling the sheen of United States nationalism with his brutal Bill Clinton zinger.
“A lot of people are scared. They’re like ‘he’s [Mr Trump] going to be so undignified. This is the presidency of the United States!’
“ … Dude it’s the United States presidency. Come on. We’ve had some presidents. This is not the most dignified job in the world.
“We’ve had presidents show up to the inauguration with pregnant slaves, okay? And I’m just talking about Bill Clinton!”
“Who is this Jake Paul? This 27-year-old punching a 60-year-old in the face. Is this what the white man has reduced himself to? Who’s he going to fight next, Morgan Freeman?,” Rock said.
“I hate Jake Paul. I got landlord hate for him.”
The episode marked the fourth time Rock had hosted SNL, which is gearing up for its 50th anniversary in February.
