SNL Alec Baldwin immediately received criticisms for doing Donald Trump’s role while the president is battling against COVID-19.
On Saturday, SNL Alec Baldwin returned as President Donald Trump in Saturday Night Live. During the same season premiere, he acted with Jim Carrey, who debuted as former Vice President Joe Bidden.
The show’s team applied a few last-minute modifications on the debate sketch and added some lighthearted jokes about Trump contracting COVID-19.
Since SNL live episode aired one day after Trump, reportedly, contracted the dreaded virus, people began calling out Alec for “mocking” the president.
What Baldwin Said
https://www.instagram.com/p/CF7fQdnjVW7/
On his Instagram page, the 62-year-old actor recorded a 15-minute long video where he took the issue as considerable criticism.
Per Baldwin, the White House said that the president was not in danger when the episode aired.
“If there was ever the suggestion that Trump was truly, gravely ill, and people said, “Trump is really in trouble,” then I would bet you everything I have that we wouldn’t even get near that, in terms of the content of the show,” he clarified.
He also assured that the team would have done something else if they knew about Trump’s condition.
Since SNL always changes their sketches if it harms other people, Baldwin revealed that the producers and writers would have done the same. He also pointed out that the SNL team is always mindful not to go too far or hit below the belt.
He added that based on the information they acquired, nobody on SNL thought they were mocking someone’s illness.
What Happened to Trump?
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) October 4, 2020
Before the episode aired, Trump posted a taped address on his Twitter account, revealing his current health condition. In the video, he said that he was already starting to feel good and called his medicines miracles from God.
“We have developed, under the Trump Administration, some really great drugs & knowledge. I feel better than I did 20 years ago!” he said.
The update came after the White House physician said that the president’s health status remained uncertain.
According to Dr. Sean Conley, Trump was already doing well. However, White House Chief of Staff Mark Meadows disclosed that the president’s vitals had been alarming.
Trump also received supplemental oxygen prior to his admission to the hospital. But Dr. Conley said that they were not trying to deceive people by hiding that fact.
“I was trying to reflect the upbeat attitude,” the physician said. “It came off that we were trying to hide something, which wasn’t necessarily true.”
Featured image courtesy of Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America/Wikimedia Commons