Colin Jost tried to land a knockout punch on Trump and his team during Saturday Night Live’s “Weekend Update” — but instead, he got crickets. And one awkward clap. Literally. Just one guy clapped.
The so-called “joke” was supposed to be a slam on Trump officials, suggesting they’ll one day run off to Argentina to escape prosecution — just like Nazi war criminals did after World War II. Yeah, he really went there.
“If history is any guide, a lot of Trump officials will end up fleeing to Argentina,” Jost said, with a smug grin, no doubt expecting roars of laughter from the audience. What he got instead? A weird silence and a lonely clap echoing through the studio.
You can watch the moment for yourself right here:
Jost tried to save face by laughing it off. “Hey, one clap!” he said, clearly realizing the joke had crashed and burned.
It was a cheap shot — and one that didn’t land. Comparing Trump officials to Nazi war criminals? That’s not edgy or clever. That’s just lazy and offensive. And judging by the dead silence in the room, even SNL’s own audience wasn’t buying it.
The whole setup was meant to mock President Trump’s recent $20 billion aid package to Argentina, a move that’s aimed at helping the country stabilize its economy under its new president, Javier Milei. But instead of focusing on the actual policy, Jost twisted it into a tired, Trump-hating punchline. More like a swing and a miss.
It’s worth pointing out that Argentina is currently led by Milei, a bold, outsider leader who’s been called the “Trump of South America.” Trump and Milei have a strong working relationship, and the aid package is part of rebuilding ties and boosting economic growth in South America — something the left would’ve called “historic diplomacy” if it came from Obama or Biden.
But because it’s Trump, folks like Jost can’t resist turning it into a bad joke. And not even a funny one.
After the joke bombed, Jost quickly pivoted to another jab — this time at George Santos, the former congressman whose sentence was just commuted by President Trump. Santos had been sentenced to seven years but only served three months before Trump cut him loose.
Jost tried to mock Santos’ reputation for exaggerating his accomplishments by tying him to Dodgers star Shohei Ohtani. “In the clinching game of the NLCS, Dodger star Shohei Ohtani pitched six scoreless innings, struck out 10 batters, then hit three home runs. It is a feat previously only accomplished by George Santos,” Jost said.
Now, to be fair, that one got more chuckles — probably because people are used to laughing at Santos. But the bigger issue here is how far SNL has fallen. What used to be a comedy powerhouse is now just a predictable, left-wing snarkfest. And worse, it’s not even funny anymore.
They’re so desperate to get a dig in at Trump that they’re recycling World War II references and hoping no one notices how tasteless it is. But people are noticing — and they’re tuning out.
The real story here isn’t just that Colin Jost told a bad joke. It’s that the cultural elites in media and entertainment still don’t get it. They think insulting half the country is comedy. They think if they toss around enough “Trump = Hitler” lines, people will clap like trained seals.
But the audience isn’t playing along anymore. And when you have to point out a single clap in a room full of people, maybe it’s time to rethink the script.
In the meantime, Trump is busy leading the country and making big moves internationally — while SNL is stuck telling tired jokes and laughing at itself.