Who Should ‘Saturday Night Live’ Cast As Donald Trump Now That Alec Baldwin Has Quit?

I’ve written about Atamanuik for Decider before – for me, he’s been the best Trump impersonator by far. Not just for the physical mannerisms, but because his material takes on the harshest of the critiques against Trump, including the connections to white supremacy and accusations of sexual harassment and assault. Atamanuik has the ability to turn these into comedic devices that both entertain, and sting in ways far beyond what we’re normally likely to see on network television. He’d be a bold choice for SNL’s new Trump.

Hammond, the former cast member turned SNL announcer, played Trump last season, and, for me, was the best Trump in the show’s history. His return would be welcome, but with a change. Hammond’s Trump emphasized the laugh lines and the insults, taking an appropriate tone for a mogul turned reality TV star making what seemed to be a longshot bid for the presidency. Now that Trump has won after running on a strongman agenda, Hammond would need to turn up the aggression in the impression, make it tougher, meaner. But Hammond’s knack for capturing personalities of all stripes should make this a no-brainer.

A shock to the system. Jones, the recent victim of a racist troll campaign she spun into gold on “Weekend Update,” declaring that she would not back down from attackers, epitomizes everything that angers the racist elements of the Trump constituency; she’s a successful black woman who is brash, loud, and won’t back down from a fight. Save for the “black woman” part, you could even say she shares those qualities with our new president-elect. Jones as Trump would be a bold, “through the looking glass” approach to a man who could be hard to wring laughs out of in the years to come.

While many comedy shows hired or assigned Trump impersonators, Stephen Colbert conversed with cartoon versions of Trump and Hillary Clinton, allowing him more leeway in their interactions. But while he mostly used them for comedic conversations, animation offers a show more options in how public figures are represented. Dealing with Trump in animation would allow the show’s writers a greater degree of creative approaches to what is sure to be an administration with much to comment on.

When it comes to Trump, SNL already has a huge credibility issue. Many from the media and the show’s fan base were angered when NBC allowed Trump to host last year, claiming it normalized him at a time when racist elements of his campaign were in plain site. Given the show’s largely liberal cast and fan base, Trump’s declared agenda – including deporting 2-3 million undocumented immigrants as soon as he takes office, and appointing Supreme Court judges determined to undo Roe v. Wade – could make wringing humor out of this presidency both difficult and, in the eyes of some, just plain wrong. If SNL wants to take a combative approach to President Trump, it can leave the impression unfilled, making its statements and commentaries in other ways. With misery sure to come for many, this might be a case for doing away with an impersonation, and finding more meaningful ways, perhaps a la John Oliver or Samantha Bee, to take on a deeper, more issue-based brand of comedy. Because if one thing is for sure, the days of cheap jokes about Trump’s hair are long gone.

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Larry Getlen is the author of the book Conversations with Carlin. His greatest wish is to see Stefon enjoy a cheeseburger at John Belushi’s diner. Follow him on Twitter at @larrygetlen.