‘Saturday Night Live’ takes on Ketanji Brown Jackson’s Supreme Court confirmation
By Frank Pallotta, CNN Business
“Saturday Night Live” opened Saturday’s episode with one of the biggest stories from this week: the historic confirmation of Ketanji Brown Jackson to the Supreme Court.
“Wow, what a day,” President Joe Biden, played by James Austin Johnson, said during the NBC variety show’s cold open. “Your speech was terrific, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.”
Jackson, who was played by Ego Nwodim, said that she bets Biden can’t say that “three times fast.”
“I’m shocked I could say it one time slow,” Johnson’s Biden replied.
Nwodim’s Jackson thanked the president for him putting his trust in her.
“Hey, I made a campaign promise to put a black woman on the court, and I did,” Johnson’s Biden said. “So that’s one campaign promise down, and only 74 to go.”
The Senate confirmed Jackson Thursday, paving the way for her to become the first Black woman to serve on the highest court in the nation.
“Well, I was happy to do my part,” Nwodim’s Jackson said. “Work twice as hard as a white man my entire life and then spend a week listening to Ted Cruz call me a pedophile.”
Johnson’s Biden told Nwodim’s Jackson she won’t be the last Black woman on the court because it’s a normal thing now, “like wearing Crocs in public.”
The faux president then told Nwodim’s Jackson to stand in the White House and imagine the spirits of great Americans that came before her. The first spirit? Former Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who died in 2020, played by Kate McKinnon.
“Here’s my advice: always label your lunches,” McKinnon’s Ginsburg said about being on the court. “A lot of those other justices have sticky fingers.”
Another spirit was Jackie Robinson, the first Black player in Major League Baseball, played by Chris Redd.
“Being the first is kinda fun,” he said. “Here’s my advice: watch out for batteries. You will get so many batteries thrown at you.”
Redd’s Robinson added the good news about being a justice is that Jackson will make more than baseball players.
Nwodim’s Jackson informed him that baseball players make, on average, $4 million a year, which caused Redd’s Robinson to scream into his glove.
“Thank you, I’ve been holding that in since 1947,” he said.
Nwodim’s Jackson then thanked them all for their advice, but Redd’s Robinson couldn’t let go of baseball player’s current salary.
“So even the bad players are millionaires?” he asked.
“Yup,” Nwodim’s Jackson said.
“Ain’t that something,” Redd’s Robinson said before saying with the group, “Live… From New York! It’s Saturday night!”
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