SNL’s parodies define presidents in popular culture, and in the case of Trump, this means that he will forever be known as the moron president.
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Baldwin captured Trump’s incoherence at these “speeches,” which almost always quickly morph into Trump ranting about whatever is on his mind, but the skit also captured something else. It summarized Trump’s out of touch stupidity.
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When Balwin as Trump said, “And how dumb is Rex Tillerson folks? What a dumb, dumb, dumberooni, and he has the nerve to call me a moron. Talk about the pot calling the kettle Mexican. I am so much smarter than this guy, Rex. I have a huge IQ. I took an IQ test and let me just assure you, it came back positive, very positive. My IQ is through the roof, and frankly through many of the clouds as well. Ok? And by the way. I’m the only guy who even knows what IQ means most people don’t even know what IQ stands for inquedable.”
SNL is refining their portrait of Trump from being an egomaniac who is in over his head to being a bigoted and stupid man who thinks he is smarter than everyone else in the room.
When Saturday Night Live nails down their parody of a president, it enters the popular culture and becomes part of that president’s identity. From Chevy Chase’s clumsy Gerald Ford to Darrell Hammond’s Bill Clinton, Dana Carvey’s George HW Bush to Will Ferrel’s George W. Bush, the perception created by SNL became part of their political reality.
Trump is obsessed with Tillerson calling him a moron both because it rings true and it sticks.
SNL is making sure that Donald Trump will always be remembered as the moron president.
Jason is the managing editor. He is also a White House Press Pool and a Congressional correspondent for PoliticusUSA. Jason has a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science. His graduate work focused on public policy, with a specialization in social reform movements.
Awards and Professional Memberships
Member of the Society of Professional Journalists and The American Political Science Association
