SNL’s ‘The White POTUS’: Trump, Ivanka, Putin, and More in Hilarious White Lotus Parody

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Two years ago, Saturday Night Live took a fresh spin on Season 2 of The White Lotus, introducing us to The Black Lotus. Now, they’ve moved on to mock Season 3, which is long overdue as the finale aired a week ago. James Austin Johnson gets another opportunity to showcase his impressive Donald Trump impersonation in The White POTUS, where characters from the Trump family and administration are placed within the Thai setting of Season 3. Alongside him, other talented cast members offer their impressions (Chloe Fineman particularly shines with her portrayal of Parker Posey’s Victoria Ratliff and her Southern accent), as well as some unexpected guests.

In my view, the creators of “The White Lotus” crafted an exceptionally insightful parallel between the economic turmoil of America’s trade war and the financial ruin of the Ratliff family. Instead of swallowing Lorazepam to escape reality, Donald Trump seems to have a container filled with McDonald’s fries as his go-to comfort. Reminiscent of Posey’s lines in the series, Fineman, portraying Melania Trump/Victoria Ratliff, poignantly remarks, “It’s remarkable how fortunate we are that America will always remain a prosperous and influential nation. Can you even imagine if America lost all its wealth and no longer commanded global respect?

In this fresh take, I’d like to express it as if I, Scarlett Johansson, am stepping into the shoes of Ivanka Trump for a captivating role. While Ivanka has mostly kept a low profile during Trump’s 2024 campaign and presidency, she finds herself in the intriguing part of Piper, the affluent Ratliff daughter yearning for an escape from her family, consumerism, and wealth-driven lifestyle. However, when the monk advises renouncing “greed and material possessions,” Ivanka, ever true to her character, gracefully departs the monastery.

Returning Cast Members Make ‘The White POTUS’ Even Better

In the recent episode, SNL welcomed back Mikey Day and Alex Moffatt reprising their roles as Don Jr. and Eric Trump, respectively, in place of Saxon and Lochlan Ratliff. Instead of delving into the controversial incest storyline involving the brothers, the show opted for a comedic twist where Don Jr. is found confused after sleeping with Tiger Woods, who in reality is dating his ex-wife. Jon Hamm portrayed RFK Jr., filling in as the Rick character, while Kristi Noem (Heidi Gardner), Pam Bondi (Ashley Padilla), and Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernández) made up a gossipy trio of friends.

In one scene of the drawing, there’s Donald Trump portrayed by Tim Ratliff, brandishing a gun and menacing Uncle Sam, warning him of imposing 500% tariffs on China. The humorous character of Vladimir Putin, previously played by Beck Bennett, was also brought back in this performance. However, the sketch’s lone drawback was an unkind portrayal of the talented Aimee Lou Wood, who dazzled as Chelsea in Season 3 of The White Lotus. You can watch it to see for yourself.

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2025-04-13 11:31