James Talarico Makes Surprise “SNL” Cold Open Appearance After Historic Midterm Election Win
James Talarico Makes Surprise “SNL” Cold Open Appearance After Historic Midterm Election Win
Bailey RichardsSun, November 8, 2026 at 4:58 PM UTC
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James Talarico and James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump on SNLCredit: Saturday Night Live/YouTube -
James Talarico appeared on Saturday Night Live on Saturday, Nov. 7 in a cold open about the Nov. 3 midterm election results
The Texas senator-elect made his first SNL cameo alongside James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump
Talarico also poked fun at SNL in the sketch, which featured comedians playing Chuck Schumer, Hakeem Jeffries, JD Vance and Pete Hegseth
James Talarico celebrated his historic midterm win with a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live.
Days after the 37-year-old became the first Democrat to win a Senate seat in Texas since 1988, he stopped by New York City’s Studio 8H to cameo in the latest SNL cold open. It marked his first appearance on the late-night comedy show.
The Saturday, Nov. 7, sketch saw several characters, including James Austin Johnson‘s fan-favorite Donald Trump, reacting to the results of the Nov. 3 midterm elections, which saw Democrats win several key races to regain control of both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
The show kicked off with Sarah Sherman as Chuck Schumer and Kenan Thompson as Hakeem Jeffries celebrating the Democrats’ big night. They then laughed off the idea that the victories showed it was time for the politicians to “step aside and pass the torch to the next generation.”
Next came Johnson’s Trump, who stepped into the sketch as Sherman’s Schumer and Thompson’s Jeffries froze, becoming part of the background, in SNL‘s typical Trump cold open form.
Johnson’s fan-favorite spin on the president acknowledged the midterm elections, as Trump did in real life, by saying he would accept their results. He also lamented that “millennial cringe is back” in the wake of the so-called “Blue Wave.”
“I didn’t even say it was rigged,” he said of the outcome of the Nov. 3 election. “I accepted the results, which is almost scarier, in a way. It’s like, ‘What the hell is he planning?’ ”
As Johnson’s Trump monologued, the sketch saw brief appearances from Jeremy Culhane’s Vice President JD Vance and Colin Jost‘s Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth. Trump shut down “the era of JD Vance,” which disappointed Culhane’s VP, and said “all the rats are jumping ship,” prompting Jost’s Hegseth to vow to stay by the president’s side.
James Talarico speaks at a Nov. 3 election night watch party in Austin, TexasCredit: Aaron E. Martinez/The Austin American-Statesman via Getty
Johnson’s president concluded with some name-calling of several Democrats who won their midterms before Talarico appeared on stage.
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“But, election is over now,” the character said, “so I hope you enjoy what you voted for. Jon Ossoff, or as I call him, Thinky Herman. Abdul El-Sayed, or as I call him, Mamdani for men. And of course, down in Texas, Tala-freak-o.”
Enter Talarico. The senator-elect walked on stage with a big smile and earned a raucous round of applause from the audience at Studio 8H. He ended the sketch by poking a bit of fun at SNL, joking that the show’s cold opens featuring Trump have gotten repetitive.
“Hi America, I’m James Talarico — the guy who’s been texting you every day asking for $5,” the Texas politician kicked off his cameo, as Johnson’s Trump joked, “In this economy, who can blame you?”
“But I think, Mr. President, if we can work together, we can make life better for everyday Americans,” Talarico continued. “It’s clear people want something new. They want something different. I’m talking, of course, about SNLs cold opens. How many of these Trump freezers are they going to do?”
Johnson’s Trump then chimed “Infinity,” before joining with Talarico to say, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night!”
James Talarico at a Nov.3 ‘Blockwalk’ campaign rally in Austin, TexasCredit: Brandon Bell/Getty
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Druski hosted the Nov. 7 episode of SNL, which marked the comedian’s first time hosting SNL and the first time a social content creator has held the role in the show’s history. The Strokes performed as the musical guest.
Talarico defeated his Republican opponent, Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton, flipping his specific Senate seat to the Democrats for the first time since 1961. His race was one of the most closely watched of the midterm elections, with powerful Republicans including Trump and Vance endorsing Paxton and Trump ally Elon Musk pouring an estimated $224 million into supporting his campaign, per PBS.
Talarico has served in the Texas House since 2018 but rose to national prominence in 2023 when he critiqued the GOP’s use of Christianity in defense of its policies. His calls for inclusivity in organized religion have supported his rise in the Democratic Party as a new perspective in progressive politics.
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Source: “AOL Entertainment”
