The busy and eventful summer for the Trump administration was too much of a calling for NBC’s Saturday Night Live, still between seasons. Which was why, on Thursday night, the network brought back their Weekend Update skit for a half hour long comedy special. The special had some pretty humorous moments. But for good natured people, the show took a dark turn when a bit involving President Trump’s adult sons portrayed Eric Trump as a person with an intellectual disability.
When their portion of the skit began, they the fake Trump sons joined the fake news anchors to “talk about some of the amazing things my father is doing,” according to Don Jr. (played by Mikey Day).
“ISIS is on the ropes, the border has never been more secure and the story of the summer--” the Don Jr. character began before Eric Trump (played by Alex Moffat) blurted out: “When you met with the Russians?” Don Jr. corrected his brother and tried to down play the meeting with Russians, but Eric continued to speak out of turn in not understanding what a “subpoena” was:
MOFFAT (Eric): But last week you got some peanuts.
DAY (Don Jr.): I told you it's a subpoena, not some peanuts.
MOFFAT: Sub peanuts?
DAY: Subpoenas.
MOFFAT: Sub peanuts.
DAY: We’ll work on it. We'll work on it.
“Look, all my father did was give me some advice. He said, ‘Son, go out there and tell the truth,’” the Don Jr. character told anchor Colin Jost. “And then he winked” shouted Eric.
Clearly fed-up with his brother, Don Jr. handed Eric a fidget spinner to keep him occupied. “You want to play with your fidget spinner, buddy,” he asked in a patronizing tone. After Eric was handed the fidget spinner, he just stared at it as it sat there motionless.
“Eric … Eric, you have to spin it, buddy,” Don Jr. explained as he flicked it for him, to the roaring laughter of the studio audience. “Yeah, it's a fidget spinner, it's what it does, man.” The Eric Trump character was amazed by the spinning. Don Jr. continued to explain to Jost how the Russia story wasn’t a problem for him, while continuously restarting his brother’s fidget spinner.
“And I built a hotel,” Eric again blurted out. “You sure did, bud. You want to show Colin,” Don Jr. asked him as Eric pulled out a Lego set:
DAY (Don Jr.): He did this all by himself. [Laughter and applause]
MOFFAT (Eric): See, I do real estate, too.
DAY: You sure do, pal. Look who's checking in. You got Batman over here. Storm trooper. You got Captain Jack Sparrow. And who are these guys right here, buddy?
MOFFAT: The cleaning staff. [ Laughter ]
These type of “jokes” are just mean spirited and disappointing. One would think adults would find it in poor taste to mock someone for being intellectually disabled, especially considering NBC had declared Donald Trump’s “worst offense” was mocking a disabled reporter. And that’s not to mention the existence of the national movement of “Spread the Word to End the Word,” which swept the nation with aims to combat the stigma of intellectual disabilities.
Transcript below:
NBC
Saturday Night Live: Weekend Update Summer Edition
August 10, 2017
9:04:19 PM EasternCOLIN JOST: A lot of the news coverage surrounding the Trump administration was negative this summer but here to talk about some of the President's accomplishments are first sons Eric and Donald Trump Jr. [ Cheers and applause]
MIKEY DAY [as Donald Trump Jr.]: Thanks for having us, Colin.
ALEX MOFFAT: I'm Eric.
DAY: They know that. [ Laughter ] Colin, thanks for letting us come here and talk about some of the amazing things my father is doing. ISIS is on the ropes, the border has never been more secure and the story of the summer –
MOFFAT: When you met with the Russians?
DAY: No, Eric, it’s our surging economy. No one cares about my meeting with the Russians anymore.
MOFFAT: But last week you got some peanuts.
DAY: I told you it's a subpoena not some peanuts.
MOFFAT: Sub peanuts?
DAY: Subpoenas.
MOFFAT: Sub peanuts.
DAY: We’ll work on it. We'll work on it.
…
COLIN: What about the reports that your father actually helped craft the statement you made to the public to mislead them deliberately?
DAY: Look, all my father did was give me some advice. He said, "Son, go out there and tell the truth."
MOFFAT: And then he winked! [ Laughter ]
DAY: Okay. You want to play with your fidget spinner, buddy?
MOFFAT: Uh-huh. [ Laughter ]
DAY: Colin, I mean, what is the big deal? … Eric … Eric, you have to spin it, buddy. [ Laughter ] Yeah, it's a fidget spinner, it's what it does, man. My dad gives me advice all the time. “Don Jr., always trust your gut.” “Don Jr., always be the best dressed in the room.”
MOFFAT: “Eric, the minions aren’t real.”
DAY: Yeah, stuff like that. [Spins Eric’s fidget spinner] Colin, you know, bottom line, my father's presidency has been a resounding success and I will be cleared -- [ laughter ] Eric. [Spins Eric’s fidget spinner] I will be cleared of any wrongdoing by the grand jury.
MOFFAT: And I built a hotel.
DAY: You sure did, bud. You want to show Colin?
MOFFAT: Yeah! [Pulls out a Lego building]
DAY: He did this all by himself. [Laughter and applause]
MOFFAT: See, I do real estate, too.
DAY: You sure do, pal. Look who's checking in. You got Batman over here. Storm trooper. You got Captain Jack Sparrow. And who are these guys right here, buddy?
MOFFAT: The cleaning staff. [ Laughter ]
DAY: Okay!
