{"id":2190472,"date":"2025-12-08T00:04:05","date_gmt":"2025-12-08T00:04:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/?p=2190472"},"modified":"2025-12-08T00:04:05","modified_gmt":"2025-12-08T00:04:05","slug":"snl-mocks-pete-hegseths-operation-kill-everyone-in-brutal-cold-open-about-venezuela-boat-strikes","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/snl-mocks-pete-hegseths-operation-kill-everyone-in-brutal-cold-open-about-venezuela-boat-strikes\/","title":{"rendered":"\u201cSNL\u201d mocks Pete Hegseth&#8217;s &#8216;Operation Kill Everyone&#8217; in brutal cold open about Venezuela boat strikes"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><\/p>\n<div data-article-body=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/person\/colin-jost\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Colin Jost;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Colin Jost<\/a> recently stepped away from the &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/weekend-update\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Weekend Update;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Weekend Update<\/a>&#8221; desk to reprise his role as an angry, aggro Pete Hegseth.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The latest episode of <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/saturday-night-live\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Saturday Night Live;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \"><em>Saturday Night Live<\/em><\/a> opened with jabs at both Donald Trump and his Defense Secretary, who in the sketch were hosting a press conference about the United States&#8217; <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/apnews.com\/article\/trump-maduro-venezuela-drug-cartels-military-timeline-91e242e5c56eec39b6b7d72bf55dbd2d\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:recent military assault on alleged drug boats;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">recent military assault on alleged drug boats<\/a> in the Caribbean. Jost&#8217;s Hegseth began by chugging an energy drink before angrily declaring, &#8220;We&#8217;re now at war with Venezuela!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Prompting a room full of faux reporters to ask him questions, he added, &#8220;Pretend I&#8217;m a random fishing boat and fire away!&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Hegseth then alternated between insulting the journalists and defending the controversial strikes. At one point, he denied real reports that he ordered a second strike on a boat that killed two survivors who had spent nearly an hour clinging to wreckage.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\">\n<p>Saturday Night Live\/YouTube<\/p>\n<p> Colin Jost as Pete Hegseth in the &#8216;SNL&#8217; cold open<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;That kind of cruel, heartless act has no place in <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/the-view-sara-haines-alleges-pete-hegseth-murder-venezuela-strikes-11859343\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Operation Kill Everybody,;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Operation Kill Everybody,<\/a>&#8221; said Jost&#8217;s Hegseth. &#8220;I wasn&#8217;t even in the room when it happened, okay? I was so jacked up after the first strike I had to make an emergency call to my sponsor \u2014 I&#8217;m sorry, a guy I met at an anonymous meeting.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Later, when asked for an official death toll from the lethal strikes, he told reporters, &#8220;Let&#8217;s just say if I had a drink for every Venezuelan we&#8217;ve killed, I&#8217;d really like that number of drinks.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">When one reporter pointed out that the controversial strikes have even led to President Trump distancing himself from the Defense Secretary, Jost&#8217;s Hegseth lashed out. &#8220;Unlike you beta cucks, he&#8217;s a high-energy alpha who trusts me and listens to me no matter what!&#8221; he ranted. &#8220;Isn&#8217;t that right, Mr. President?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">The camera then swung over to James Austin Johnson&#8217;s Trump\u2026 who was busy dozing in his seat. The sleepy babble that followed included a reference to Trump&#8217;s repeated meetings with New York City&#8217;s mayor-elect, Zohran Mamdani.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"relative mb-4\">\n<div class=\"relative\"><img alt=\"Saturday Night Live\/YouTube James Austin Johnson as a sleeping Donald Trump on 'SNL'\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"960\" height=\"640\" decoding=\"async\" data-nimg=\"1\" class=\"rounded-lg\" style=\"color:transparent\" src=\"https:\/\/s.yimg.com\/ny\/api\/res\/1.2\/GzXsS3_Q2mR3vgQ3_a84uQ--\/YXBwaWQ9aGlnaGxhbmRlcjt3PTk2MDtoPTY0MDtjZj13ZWJw\/https:\/\/media.zenfs.com\/en\/entertainment_weekly_785\/ed35f0f72ed97ef9d911eb31018773d5\"\/><button aria-label=\"View larger image\" class=\"group absolute bottom-3 right-3 size-10 md:size-[50px] lg:inset-0 lg:size-full lg:bg-transparent\" data-ylk=\"elm:expand;itc:1;sec:image-lightbox;slk:lightbox-open;\"><span class=\"absolute bottom-0 right-0 rounded-full bg-white p-3 opacity-100 shadow-elevation-3 transition-opacity duration-300 group-hover:block group-hover:opacity-100 md:p-[17px] lg:bottom-6 lg:right-6 lg:bg-white\/90 lg:p-5 lg:opacity-0 lg:shadow-none\"><svg viewbox=\"0 0 22 22\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"size-4 lg:size-6\" width=\"22\" height=\"22\"><path d=\"M12.372.92c0-.506.41-.916.915-.916L21 0l-.004 7.712a.917.917 0 0 1-1.832 0V3.183l-6.827 6.828-1.349-1.348 6.828-6.828h-4.529a.915.915 0 0 1-.915-.915M1.835 17.816l6.828-6.828 1.349 1.349-6.829 6.827h4.529a.915.915 0 0 1 0 1.831L0 21l.004-7.713a.916.916 0 0 1 1.831 0z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/button><dialog aria-label=\"Modal Dialog\" aria-modal=\"true\" class=\"fixed inset-0 z-4 size-full max-h-none max-w-none bg-white hidden\"\/><\/div><figcaption class=\"relative text-sm mt-1 pr-2.5\">\n<div style=\"max-height:none;overflow:visible\">\n<p>Saturday Night Live\/YouTube<\/p>\n<p> James Austin Johnson as a sleeping Donald Trump on &#8216;SNL&#8217;<\/p><\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;Oh, stop. Stop Mamdani, ohh,&#8221; he muttered. &#8220;You can freeze my rent anytime.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Last month, <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/sunny-hostin-says-zohran-mamdani-played-donald-trump-during-meeting-11855771\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Trump hosted Mamdani at the White House;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Trump hosted Mamdani at the White House<\/a> for a lengthy meeting that some described as <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.independent.co.uk\/news\/world\/americas\/us-politics\/trump-mamdani-meeting-white-house-new-york-b2870222.html\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:a love-fest;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">a love-fest<\/a>. During the friendly sit-down, Trump even predicted that the Democratic Socialist will be &#8220;a really great mayor.&#8221; They parted on such good terms, in fact, that a FOX News anchor joked the meeting had left Vice President JD Vance feeling &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"link \" href=\"https:\/\/www.thedailybeast.com\/fox-news-anchor-brian-kilmeade-gobsmacked-by-donald-trumps-mamdani-meeting\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:jealous;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\">jealous<\/a>.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Upon waking in the <em>SNL<\/em> cold open, Johnson&#8217;s Trump insisted, &#8220;I wasn&#8217;t sleeping. I&#8217;m very much awake. Now, someone quickly tell me: Where am I, who am I, and what year might it be?&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">As for his loyalty to Hegseth, he quickly cleared the air, telling reporters, &#8220;I stand by Pete, and nothing can change my mind. Unless, of course, it could hurt me in any way, in which case I&#8217;ll throw him under one of Mamdani&#8217;s free buses.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\"><strong><em>Get your daily dose of entertainment news, celebrity updates, and what to watch with our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/ew-dispatch-newsletter-11812417\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:EW Dispatch newsletter;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">EW Dispatch newsletter<\/a>.<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">By the end of the sketch, Johnson&#8217;s Trump fell back asleep at the podium, leading Hegseth to quiet down the questions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">&#8220;We&#8217;ve got to get him to <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/joy-behar-calls-out-jake-tapper-donald-trump-cognitive-ability-11839494\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:another MRI;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">another MRI<\/a>,&#8221; he said, &#8220;before he wakes up.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Watch the full faux press conference in the cold open above.<\/p>\n<p class=\"mb-4 text-lg md:leading-8 break-words\">Read the original article on <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/ew.com\/snl-cold-open-mocks-pete-hegseth-venezuela-boat-strikes-operation-kill-everyone-11863753\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\" data-ylk=\"slk:Entertainment Weekly;elm:context_link;itc:0;sec:content-canvas\" class=\"link \">Entertainment Weekly<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><em> \u2018 The preceding article may include information circulated by third parties \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n<p><em> \u2018 Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.yahoo.com \u2019 <\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Colin Jost recently stepped away from the &#8220;Weekend Update&#8221; desk to reprise his role as an angry, aggro Pete Hegseth. The latest episode of Saturday Night Live opened with jabs at both Donald Trump and his Defense Secretary, who in the sketch were hosting a press conference about the United States&#8217; recent military assault on [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":2190473,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"jnews-multi-image_gallery":[],"jnews_single_post":[],"jnews_primary_category":[],"jnews_social_meta":[],"footnotes":""},"categories":[25172],"tags":[358432,352943,22389,353933,384782,384992],"class_list":["post-2190472","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-entertainment","tag-austin-johnson","tag-colin-jost","tag-donald-trump","tag-james-austin-johnson","tag-pete-hegseth","tag-saturday-night"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/12\/SNL-mocks-Pete-Hegseths-Operation-Kill-Everyone-in-brutal-cold.jpeg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190472","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2190472"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190472\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":2190474,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2190472\/revisions\/2190474"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2190473"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2190472"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2190472"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/celebrity.land\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2190472"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}