‘SNL’ Cold Open: Kenan Thompson’s Herschel Walker Sits Down With Mitch McConnell (Video)

“Let’s lay low and focus on the message.” “Exactly, just like Kanye.”

“Saturday Night Live” opened the first new show in three weeks with a look at how the GOP is responding to Herschel Walker’s tight runoff Senate race in Georgia, with Kenan Thompson memorably reprising his role as the former NFL running back who keeps going from gaffe to gaffe.

The “SNL” cold open began with Mitch McConnell (James Austin Johnson), Marsha Blackburn (Cecily Strong) and John Cornyn (Mikey Day) sitting in a room at the Capitol, where Walker was summoned to discuss strategy. “Hey there Mr. McDonald’s, sorry I was late I was having too much fun in that free merry-go-round,” Thompson’s Walker said to Johnson’s McConnell, mistaking a revolving door for a ride.

The sketch then played out with Walker responding incorrectly to pretty much everything McConnell, Blackburn and Cornyn had to say.

When vote-by-mail was mentioned, Walker responded, “You gotta remember, they still gotta count votes by female.” And when the gravity of the runoff was made clear, Walker said, “Oh well I’m good at those, my ex-wife said all I do is run off.”

“You can count on me, I came to chew ass and kick bubble gum, and I’m all out of gubblebum,” Walker said at one point, and when told he needed to lay low and focus on the message, he responded, “Exactly. Just like Kanye.”

The GOP senators then asked for some privacy (“You can toss a blanket right over me and I fall asleep like a parakeet,” Walker said, and they did), then pondered privately about Walker being their last hope to win this year.

Afterward, Johnson’s McConnell led Walker into his panic room, to seemingly lock him away until the runoff is complete. Walker gladly stepped in, but then paused and asked, “Why am I already in there?” McConnell responded, “That’s a mirror, Herschel.”

Watch a clip from the cold open above.

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