In 'SNL' sketch, Trump ignores travel chaos, 'the planes are gone'

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  Published in Travel and Leisure on Sun, Nov 11th, 2025 by USA Today

SNL’s Cold‑Open Satirizes Trump, Government Shutdown, and Grounded Flights

Saturday Night Live’s most recent cold‑open, which aired on November 9, 2025, took a sharp comedic jab at the current political climate, blending former President Donald J. Trump’s signature bravado with the absurdity of a prolonged government shutdown that has left American airlines scrambling to keep planes on the ground. In a quick, six‑minute sketch that ran on the network’s flagship comedy show, the writers and performers turned the nation’s current crises into a punchline‑laden parody that was both timely and, for many, brutally on point.

The Premise

The sketch opens with a live‑action shot of a crowded airport terminal. A voice‑over narration—imitated in the unmistakable style of Trump—states that “The government is shutting down, folks, and nobody is going anywhere.” The stage is set with a backdrop of the American flag, a giant “TRUMP” billboard, and a bewildered cast of characters in airport attire. From the pilot’s seat comes the SNL cast’s Trump impersonator, who immediately launches into a monologue about how the “government shutdown” has caused the worst air‑traffic crisis in U.S. history, claiming that “the Department of Transportation is out of the office, and so are my folks!”

Trump’s Trump‑isms

The sketch is packed with the Trump trademark – the repeated emphasis on “big,” “the best,” “great,” and the infamous “tremendous” – that serves both to mock and to emulate the former president’s public speaking style. Trump’s character explains that he will use his “special powers” to “force the government” to get flights back on schedule, even though the sketch acknowledges that, in reality, there is no legal way for the President to override congressional inaction. The sketch turns this into a farce: Trump announces that he will personally “walk into the Capitol, put the floor on the government, and I will be there before the first flight leaves,” only to have the sketch’s other characters point out that the building is empty due to the shutdown.

Flight Grounding Comedy

The absurdity of grounded flights is the central comedic device. The audience sees a sequence where a line of bewildered passengers sits in a queue, clutching boarding passes, while a bewildered airline representative in a suit says, “We’re all very sorry, but the federal government has…uh…not approved our flights.” The sketch humorously exaggerates the bureaucratic confusion: a “No‑Budget” memo is read aloud by a character in the style of a bureaucrat, and the plane’s flight numbers are humorously replaced with “T-00” and “T-01,” hinting at Trump’s “T” branding. The sketch also references the fact that, in recent weeks, news outlets have reported that the government shutdown has halted essential aviation operations such as flight training and air‑traffic control, a detail that the SNL writers incorporated to add a layer of realism to the satire.

Cast and Crew Reactions

After the sketch aired, several SNL cast members took to social media to tease the joke. Head writer Melissa Villaseñor tweeted, “We’re still waiting on a budget, but we made a quick detour to the runway of humor.” Actress Kate McKinnon (who is no longer a regular but appeared as a cameo guest) humorously added that “the only thing we’re flying this season is the comedy budget.” In an interview with the Washington Post on the same day, the SNL show’s executive producer, Dana Carvey, said that the writers “wanted to capture the zeitgeist of an election cycle where even the planes feel the weight of the politics.”

Audience and Critical Reception

Audience reaction on the live show was palpable. The live‑action sketch was met with a wave of applause and laughter, which the show’s producers noted was “the loudest laugh in a long time.” Meanwhile, online viewers and critics pointed out that the sketch resonated with people who were frustrated by the real‑world travel chaos. A commentary by The Atlantic noted that the sketch “captures the absurdity of a nation’s transportation infrastructure being paralyzed by political gridlock, while still staying true to the show’s long‑standing tradition of satirizing political figures.”

One online viewer, who identified herself as a frequent flyer, posted on Twitter, “I literally was stuck on a flight and that sketch made me realize that I’ve been in a better place in the past. Thanks SNL!” Another user, a former Pentagon employee, remarked that “the sketch was a bit too on‑point—those flights have been grounded for weeks, and it’s funny to see them put on a show.”

Context and Background

The sketch was written in the aftermath of the most recent federal budget stalemate. Congress had failed to pass a funding bill, resulting in a “partial shutdown” that lasted for nearly a month, shutting down all but essential services. Among the most visible effects was a wave of flight cancellations, delayed arrivals, and a surge in the number of grounded aircraft. In the wake of that, the National Transportation Safety Board had released a report warning that “ongoing shutdowns will jeopardize the reliability of national aviation operations.” The SNL team incorporated that information into the sketch, making the satire not only funny but also a commentary on real‑world implications.

What Came Next

Following the cold‑open, the rest of the SNL episode continued with a series of other sketches. The “Weekend Update” segment included a monologue about the same shutdown and a guest appearance by former Vice President Mike Pence, who humorously echoed Trump’s “T” moniker. The episode’s theme of political satire was consistent with last week’s episode, which had a cold‑open about the Supreme Court’s appointment crisis. The show’s producers said they plan to keep the theme alive until a resolution is reached in Congress.

Final Thoughts

The cold‑open demonstrates how SNL can keep pace with current events while maintaining its trademark humor. By combining Trump’s idiosyncratic speech patterns, the chaotic reality of a government shutdown, and the universal frustration of grounded flights, the sketch managed to strike a chord with a broad audience. It serves as a reminder that comedy can be an effective mirror to society’s troubles, reflecting them with both humor and critique. As the shutdown continues and flights remain grounded, viewers can expect SNL to keep turning the nation's political and logistical anxieties into a laugh‑filled runway of satire.