Marco Rubio (Marcello Hernández), Pete Hegseth (Colin Jost) and President Trump (James Austin Johnson) all begged voters for their help with this fall’s midterm elections during tonight’s “Saturday Night Live” cold open.
Two members of the Republican National Committee (“SNL” stars Ashley Padilla and Andrew Dismukes) noted at the top of the segment that the midterms are “looking bleak” for the GOP this year. It was with that in mind that they brought in Hernández’s Marco Rubio, urging him to record a message convincing voters to back Republicans this year. Unfortunately, the Secretary of State just used his message to tell voters in Spanish that Trump “tricked” him into the Iran War.
A wheelchair-bound Mitch McConnell (Mikey Day) was not much help, either. All the Kentucky senator could muster was a slowly raised peace sign before he was wheeled out of the room again. Jost’s Hegseth came in moments later with a can of Tom Holland’s “non-alcoholic b–h beer” to call on Republican voters in a way only he could.
“I need all you patriots at home to do the gayest thing ever and vote,” Hegseth said, bragging, “I’m putting God back in war, and it’s working. Our soldiers are praying a lot more than they used to. I’m always hearing them say, ‘Dear God, why?’” Moving on, the Defense Secretary dished out some “weird slam poetry” urging everyday Republicans to show up at the polls this fall.
“No weak, no woke, no DEI, no guy-on-guy,” Jost’s Hegseth rhymed. “No weirdos, no beardos, no Jills who became Joes. In conclusion: Vote, I guess.”
You can check out tonight’s “SNL” cold open below.
the Republican National Committee takes on midterm ad campaigns https://t.co/6xn5F75XT1
— Saturday Night Live (@nbcsnl) October 4, 2026
After Jost’s Hegseth made his exit, it was time for Johnson’s Trump to have his turn in the spotlight again. The president began his message to voters by assuring them that his promise to give every American $5,000 if Republicans win the House and Senate this fall is “not a bribe” because he has “no intention of following through on that promise.”
“Just pretend I’m on the ballot, OK? You have to use something called called imagination. Imagination makes a MAGA Nation,” Trump said. “What a hellhole this country is! It’s full of awful people. So I know it’s hard, but please vote for Republicans, OK? And yes, that includes creepy Ken Paxton down there in Texas.”
More to come…
