Texas Democrat James Talarico Makes Surprise ‘SNL’ Appearance
WHO:
NBC News - James Talarico, a Texas state lawmaker and seminarian who won a U.S. Senate race, made a surprise appearance on “Saturday Night Live” (SNL).
NBC News - Ken Paxton, Texas’ Republican state attorney general, was defeated by Talarico; Gina Hinojosa won a similar upset against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.
NBC News - SNL’s cold open featured Rep. Hakeem Jeffries, played by Kenan Thompson, and Sen. Chuck Schumer, played by Sarah Sherman.
NBC News - James Austin Johnson played President Donald Trump in the sketch.
Newsweek - Texas Senator-elect James Talarico appeared as a surprise guest in SNL’s cold open after his midterm win.
NY Post - Talarico was described as newly elected and joked that he had been texting viewers to ask for $5.
Rolling Stone TV Movies - The incoming Texas lawmaker embraced Trump’s insulting nickname for him after his win.
Variety - Newly elected Texas Sen. James Talarico appeared in SNL’s cold open and asked how many more Trump “freezes-the-action-to-ramble” sketches the show would do.
Deadline - Newly elected James Talarico appeared on SNL after the midterm election.
WHAT:
The Hollywood Reporter - Talarico defeated Ken Paxton by 12 points in what the article described as the most expensive race in U.S. Senate history; the result made Texas’s Senate seat Democratic for the first time in more than 30 years.
The Hollywood Reporter - Democrats gained at least 42 House seats and seven Senate seats.
The Hollywood Reporter - In the sketch, Trump said, “The next few years are going to be horrible,” then blamed the incoming Democrats’ age, saying, “It’s not that they’re Democrats; it’s that they’re Millennials.”
The Hollywood Reporter - The sketch also featured Colin Jost as Pete Hegseth, who said, “I live a YOLO life: you only lose often.”
NBC News - The sketch’s “blue Toonami” line referred to Cartoon Network’s late-night block of anime shows.
NBC News - The sketch portrayed Trump as saying, “I accepted the results, which is almost scarier in a way,” before adding, “It’s like, ‘What the hell is he planning?’”
NBC News - In the sketch, Sen. Chuck Schumer introduced himself and Hakeem Jeffries as “establishment Democrats” and asked, “Do we even know how to lose?” Jeffries answered, “Yes,” before suggesting a toast to victory.
NBC News - Trump’s character replied to Talarico’s request for $5 donations, “In this economy, who can blame you?”
NBC News - Democrats secured majorities in the U.S. House and Senate and celebrated Talarico’s Texas victory and Hinojosa’s win against Abbott.
NBC News - In the sketch, Jeffries said, “We flipped the House, we flipped the Senate, and how did we do it?” Trump interrupted, “Me!”
NBC News - Trump called the Democratic victory wave a “blue Toonami,” said he accepted the election results, and joked, “I’ll tell you what I’m planning: Ballroom.”
NBC News - Trump referred to Talarico as “Talafreako.” Talarico then introduced himself: “Hi, America. I’m James Talarico, the guy who’s been texting you every day asking for $5.”
NBC News - Talarico proposed working with the Republican president to “make life better for everyday Americans” and said voters wanted something new, adding that he meant new SNL cold opens.
NBC News - Talarico asked, “How many of these Trump freezers are they going to do?” Trump replied, “Infinity.” They closed with SNL’s “Live from New York ...” introduction.
Variety - Johnson’s Trump character answered Talarico’s question about the cold opens with “Infinity!”
WHERE:
The Hollywood Reporter - The sketch was performed at Studio 8H.
NBC News - Talarico appeared in front of Trump on the SNL stage in the show’s New York City studio.
NBC News - The election victories discussed in the sketch included races in Texas and the U.S. House and Senate.
WHY:
The Hollywood Reporter - ABC and Jimmy Kimmel moved a Talarico appearance on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” from broadcast television to YouTube after FCC Chair Brendan Carr raised concerns about equal-time rules for candidates.
IJR - Talarico’s cameo was his first late-night broadcast appearance; earlier campaign interviews were sidelined amid concerns about FCC equal-time rules.
NBC News - Talarico campaigned on battling wealth disparity and political corruption.
NBC News - Talarico said voters wanted “something new” and used the appearance to joke about SNL’s recurring political cold opens.
Variety - Talarico’s appearance included a swipe at SNL’s Trump cold opens.
HOW:
NBC News - Talarico appeared during the cold open, moving into the spotlight to applause and joining the cast in the show’s trademark introduction.
Newsweek - Talarico’s appearance followed his midterm victory.
Deadline - SNL opened with a midterm-election-themed sketch featuring Talarico and a Trump character.
(UPDATED November 8, 2026 09:56 UTC)
Texas Democrat James Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, flipping a Senate seat after decades. Fresh off his victory, Talarico surprised viewers with an appearance on Saturday Night Live. He joked about Trump sketches and his requests for five-dollar donations in the election-themed cold open.
--
(UPDATED November 8, 2026 08:55 UTC)
Democrat James Talarico won a Texas Senate race, defeating Republican Ken Paxton. He surprised viewers with an “SNL” cameo, joking about asking them for five-dollar donations. The sketch’s Trump promised “infinity” more political cold opens, as Democrats celebrated victories.
--
(UPDATED November 8, 2026 07:55 UTC)
Texas senator-elect James Talarico surprised viewers with an appearance on “Saturday Night Live” after his victory. The sketch celebrated Democratic gains in Congress and joked about Trump’s election response. Talarico asked how many Trump cold-open sketches the show would make; Trump answered, “Infinity.”
--
(UPDATED November 8, 2026 06:56 UTC)
Texas Senator-elect James Talarico surprised viewers with an appearance on Saturday Night Live’s opening sketch. The sketch celebrated Democratic victories, including Talarico’s defeat of Republican Ken Paxton. Talarico joked about recurring Trump sketches, asking how many more the show would make.