So, James Austin Johnson did it again. If you missed the Season 50 finale of Saturday Night Live, you basically missed the most unhinged, yet oddly accurate, summary of American foreign policy in 2025. It wasn’t just a sketch. It was a weirdly prophetic look at what happens when the "America First" doctrine hits the sand in Riyadh.
People are still talking about it. Why? Because the SNL Trump Middle East cold open didn't just poke fun at the logistics of a presidential trip. It went for the throat on the "pre-bribe" controversy. You know, that $400 million Qatari jet that everyone—and I mean everyone—has been arguing about for weeks.
The "Vibes" and the "Pre-Bribes"
The sketch kicked off with Johnson’s Trump standing next to a very game Emil Wakim, who played Saudi Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman (MBS). Honestly, the chemistry was terrifying. They called each other "habibi." They talked about "vibing." It felt like a parody of a bachelor party more than a diplomatic summit.
Trump’s line about why he loves Saudi Arabia was classic JAJ writing: "I’m a big fan of everything they have to offer, from the oil to the money to... end of list."
💡 You might also like: Why Earth Wind and Fire Las Vegas Tickets Are Still the Hardest Get on the Strip
Short. Brutal. True.
But the real meat was the jet. In the sketch, Trump brags about the $400 million plane the Qataris gave him. When Wakim’s MBS points out that gifts usually come with strings, Johnson’s Trump just shrugs it off as a "pre-bribe." It’s funny because it’s exactly the kind of word-mangling the real Trump uses to defuse a scandal. He doesn't deny the thing; he just renames it something less scary.
Why the "Boys' Trip" Bit Stung
One of the funniest—and most awkward—moments was when the show tackled the lack of women in these high-level meetings. Johnson’s Trump looked around the room and realized it was just a sea of dudes. "I don’t think I saw a single woman. What’s up with that?" he asked.
He called it a "nation of Melanias."
🔗 Read more: Feel Good Bass Tab: Why This Gorillaz Line Is Harder Than It Looks
Ouch.
It was a double-edged sword. It mocked the restrictive laws in the region while simultaneously taking a dig at the First Lady’s penchant for disappearing from the public eye. SNL has always been good at those "two birds, one stone" jokes, but this one landed particularly hard given the current political climate in 2026.
The Newark Problem
Then there was the Boeing stuff. You can't talk about a Middle East trip involving planes without talking about how much American aviation is struggling right now. Trump basically said he’d rather fly on the Qatari gift than a Boeing because, well, "The radar is down and the screen is blank. Newark!"
Anyone who has flown through New Jersey lately probably felt that in their soul.
The Fourth Wall Shattered
The end of the sketch took a turn. Usually, they just do the "Live from New York!" line and move on. Not this time. Johnson actually walked into the audience, kicked someone out of their seat, and started talking about the reality of his role.
He basically told us that while the "fun, fake version" of Trump was going on summer break, the real one wasn't going anywhere. "I’m like the late, great Freddy Krueger," he said. It was a meta-commentary on how satire struggles to keep up with a reality that already feels like a sketch.
👉 See also: Why Lorde on Each Other's Team Still Hits Different Ten Years Later
What This Means for Season 51
We’re heading into a long summer. The SNL Trump Middle East sketch served as a "state of the union" for the show's 50th year. They’ve leaned heavily into Johnson’s impression because it’s less about a caricature and more about a "stream of consciousness" capture.
The "if we still have a country" line at the end wasn't just a joke. It was a bit of a coin toss.
If you’re looking for the actionable takeaway from all this satire, here is what you should actually keep an eye on:
- Watch the FAA updates: The jokes about Newark and Boeing aren't just fluff; they reflect real concerns about US aviation infrastructure that the administration is currently pivoting toward.
- The Qatar Oversight: Keep an eye on the House Democrats’ scrutiny of that $400 million jet. SNL usually highlights stories that have enough "legs" to last through the news cycle.
- Satire Fatigue: Notice how the audience reacted. There’s a certain "we’ve seen this before" energy that writers are trying to combat with more fourth-wall breaking and meta-humor.
The Middle East trip was billed by the White House as a "foreign policy reset," but as SNL pointed out, it mostly looked like a very expensive shopping spree with some "habibi" energy thrown in for good measure.
Next Steps for You
Go back and watch the "Money Changers" cold open from April 2025 to see the lead-up to this performance. It provides the context for the "Trump Bible" jokes that reappear in the finale. You should also check the C-SPAN transcripts of the real-life briefings on the Saudi investment deals; you’ll find that the "trillions of dollars" line in the sketch wasn't as much of an exaggeration as you might think.