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Everyone Who Has Played Donald Trump on SNL
Ten people — both cast members and Hosts — have delivered their impression of the businessman, reality star, and 45th President of the United States.
Donald J. Trump has spent over 40 years in the public eye — not quite as long as Saturday Night Live's 50 years on the air, but close. As a high-profile real estate heir, casino owner, entrepreneur, reality star, 45th President of the United States, and the current GOP presidential candidate, Trump has had many headline-making moments through the decades. And SNL has parodied many of them.
From Season 14 to Season 49, ten performers have put on an orange wig to deliver their own unique Trump impression. Some, such as Season 50 cast member James Austin Johnson, portrayed him in traditional cold opens, while others — like Hosts John Cena and Shane Gillis — did it with a twist in pretaped sketches.
So who will play Donald Trump in SNL Season 50? You'll have to watch the September 28 premiere to find out, in a milestone season that will also welcome Maya Rudolph back to play Vice President Kamala Harris. Below, check out everyone who's done a Donald Trump impersonation on Saturday Night Live over the years.
RELATED: Maya Rudolph Made a Hysterical Kamala Harris in This Emmy-Winning SNL Episode
Who's played Donald Trump on Saturday Night Live?
Phil Hartman
Years impersonating Donald Trump: 1988-1990
The late Phil Hartman, a Saturday Night Live cast member from 1986-1994, remains among one of the show's best-known celebrity impersonators (you've also heard Hartman's voice many times in classic episodes of The Simpsons). He portrayed Trump on SNL four times, debuting with the cold open "A Trump Christmas" co-starring his cast mate, the late Jan Hooks, as Trump's estranged then-wife Ivana Trump.
Darrell Hammond
Years impersonating Donald Trump: 1999-2016
Darrell Hammond is one of the longest-running SNL cast members of all time with 14 seasons, and has been SNL's announcer since 2014. While he may be better known for his Bill Clinton impression on the show, Hammond played Trump in sketches over a span of 17 years. After exiting the cast in 2009, Hammond returned to impersonate Trump 11 more times, including several 2016 cameos before Alec Baldwin took over the role.
Jason Sudeikis
Year impersonating Donald Trump: 2012
As an SNL cast member from 2005-2013 who returned for many cameos over the years, Sudeikis' range of political impressions on the show include President Joe Biden, George W. Bush, and Mitt Romney. The Ted Lasso star played Trump exactly once on SNL, in a November 3, 2012 "Fox and Friends" segment.
Taran Killam
Year impersonating Donald Trump: 2015
Taran Killam's time playing Donald Trump was brief, putting in just three appearances as the then-presidential candidate during his final season on the show. Those include a November 7, 2015 appearance alongside Darrell Hammond and Donald Trump himself, with Hammond and Killam in character offering dueling impressions.
RELATED: Introducing Saturday Night Live's Season 50 Cast
Alec Baldwin
Years impersonating Trump: 2016-2020
Alec Baldwin still holds the record for Person Who Has Hosted SNL the Most Times (17, with Steve Martin a close second at 16). So perhaps it's not surprising that he's also the person who has played Donald Trump the most often: A staggering 46 times, in fact. Baldwin won an Emmy for his Trump portrayal in 2017, and was nominated for it again in 2018 and 2021.
John Cena
Year impersonating Trump: 2016
When John Cena hosted SNL on December 10, 2016 — barely six weeks after the election — he starred in the pretaped "Through Donald's Eyes" sketch. Cena's Trump is only caught a few times staring at his (perceived) reflection in the mirror, though, as the short is shot from his point of view.
Leslie Jones and Vanessa Bayer
Year impersonating Trump: 2017
Okay, this one's even more of a technicality than John Cena's: In the February 11, 2017 episode hosted by Alec Baldwin (in which he indeed busted out his Trump impression), the final sketch of the night was the pretaped "Leslie Wants to Play Trump."
In the mock-documentary-style sketch, the Season 42 cast member makes a play to be Baldwin's successor in the role, auditioning for Lorne Michaels in a suit, orange wig, and matching furry eyebrows — only to be bested by cast mate Vanessa Bayer.
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Shane Gillis
Years impersonating Donald Trump: 2024
When actor and stand-up comic Shane Gillis hosted in Season 49, he unveiled his own Donald Trump impression in the pretaped sketch, "Trump Sneakers." Though he actually played a man named Gordon Dwyer, he effectively transforms into the 45th president after the actual president gifts him a magical pair of his Trump sneakers. Ultimately, he comes face-to-face with James Austin Johnson's version in a veritable Trump-off.
James Austin Johnson
Years impersonating Donald Trump: 2021-2024
Prior to joining the cast in Season 47, comedian James Austin Johnson had already gained viral fame online for his spot-on Trump impression. It was a seamless transition to starring in cold opens in full costume (he has also portrayed President Joe Biden).
Has Donald Trump been on Saturday Night Live?
Yes, he has hosted SNL twice.
Trump first hosted SNL for his first time on April 3, 2004, during the first year of NBC's The Apprentice. He hosted again on November 7, 2015.
