Hammond portrayed Trump throughout his time in the show’s cast, but it’s his return to the impression this past year that earns him this spot. [SNL]

Debating Anthony Atamanuik’s Trump in specials for Comedy Central and Fusion, Adomian created a Bernie even more lovable to young idealists than the real one. [Trump vs. Bernie]

Pharoah’s Obama showed us a president in constant conflict, a man embattled by attackers from all sides. In that sense, Pharoah’s Obama might have been the truest. [SNL]

With ambition so great she can barely contain it, McKinnon’s Hillary oozes desperation; in her mind, she’s been president since childhood. [SNL]

Confident, sassy, and tolerating no nonsense, McKinnon showed the Supreme Court justice to not be one to mess with, serving to propel both to greater cultural heights. [SNL]

Larry David's unexpected first appearance as Sanders was both  the best surprise in political comedy over the past year and the most logical one. [SNL]

The unrecognizable Depp preens throughout the film, exposing the full breadth of Trump’s audacious narcissism. [Funny Or Die]

Obama impressions are easy to come by, but only Jordan Peele’s felt real. [Key & Peele]

Hammond portrayed Trump throughout his time in the show’s cast, but it’s his return to the impression this past year that earns him this spot. [SNL]

Pharoah’s Carson combined a timid politician with a coy feline to capture the oddness of the real thing - a man who’s brilliant at saving lives, and seemingly nothing else. [SNL]

Confident, sassy, and tolerating no nonsense, McKinnon showed the Supreme Court justice to not be one to mess with, serving to propel both to greater cultural heights. [SNL]

Fallon is not one for sharp political satire, but his good-humored ribbing of Trump was a solid reminder that impressions might be Fallon’s greatest talent. [The Tonight Show]

Debating Anthony Atamanuik’s Trump in specials for Comedy Central and Fusion, Adomian created a Bernie even more lovable to young idealists than the real one. [Trump vs. Bernie]

Larry David's unexpected first appearance as Sanders was both  the best surprise in political comedy over the past year and the most logical one. [SNL]

With ambition so great she can barely contain it, McKinnon’s Hillary oozes desperation; in her mind, she’s been president since childhood. [SNL]

Larry David's unexpected first appearance as Sanders was both  the best surprise in political comedy over the past year and the most logical one. [SNL]

Fey’s understated carbon copy of the controversial vice-presidential candidate damned Palin with her own words, and made Fey a key player in an already bizarre presidential race. [SNL]

Playing the ruler on 30 Rock, Cho sought the goofiest portrayal possible, squeezing laughs out of anything. [30 Rock]

With a slightly hunched frame, squinting eyes, and three simple syllables - “heh heh heh” - Stewart exposed Bush’s every hypocrisy, confusion, misstep, and outright lie. [The Daily Show]

Poehler captured, better than anyone before or since, the frustration of being Hillary Clinton. [SNL]

"Newwww Jersey!" Armisen’s impression never failed to slay the SNL audience, turning his take on New York’s surprise governor into a prime piece of stumbling physical comedy. [SNL]

"Lockbox." Hammond's portrayal of the then VP as tiptoeing warily through the race while Bush bulldozed made a bigger impression on voters than anything the candidates did. [SNL]

Samberg took Emanuel's reputation to its natural endpoint, playing him as a foul-mouthed street fighter who’d punch you in the face without a second thought. [SNL]

"Strategery." With this one word, Ferrell defined then-candidate Bush as a feel-good buffoon with an addictive staccato laugh and a thorough misunderstanding of world events. [SNL]

Fey’s understated carbon copy of the controversial vice-presidential candidate damned Palin with her own words, and made Fey a key player in an already bizarre presidential race. [SNL]

Caliendo combined accuracy and buffoonery to create a President Bush that skewed a bit too close to reality for comfort. [Late Show With David Letterman]

"Newwww Jersey!" Armisen’s impression never failed to slay the SNL audience, turning his take on New York’s surprise governor into a prime piece of stumbling physical comedy. [SNL]

Carville is a unique figure in American politics, and Hader captures his every kink and quirk, making him ooze with slime while also seeming like a great guy to wind up with at a party. [SNL]

Fey’s understated carbon copy of the controversial vice-presidential candidate damned Palin with her own words, and made Fey a key player in an already bizarre presidential race. [SNL]

"Lockbox." Hammond's portrayal of the then VP as tiptoeing warily through the race while Bush bulldozed made a bigger impression on voters than anything the candidates did. [SNL]

Fey’s understated carbon copy of the controversial vice-presidential candidate damned Palin with her own words, and made Fey a key player in an already bizarre presidential race. [SNL]

So great it set a new standard for impressions, Carvey’s Bush uttered catchphrases that became so ingrained in our culture, many to this day think Bush said them himself. [SNL]

Ferrell’s Reno portrayed her as a stiff, tough-talking, take-no-guff politician by day, and stealth dance machine by night. [SNL]

Carvey’s take on the priest-turned-pundit showed how McLaughlin favored crisp, interrupted discussion and, ultimately, his own simply stated views over those of his panelists. [SNL]

Macdonald's Bob Dole nailed the senator’s hard edge and easy-to-anger demeanor, and his own appreciation for absurdity made it work. [SNL]

Another figure ripe for parody, Perot’s Texas twang and swagger combined with his diminutive height and high-pitched voice to cut a unique and memorable swath through American politics. [SNL]

If Hartman captured Clinton’s gregariousness, Hammond evoked his mischievous boyishness, the “aw shucks” ability to have any misstep treated like a teen’s unwitting infraction. [SNL]

Thompson created a humanist take on the monarch, while touching ever-so-slightly on the leader’s strange and strained relationship with the troupe’s Canadian homeland. [The Kids In The Hall]

Clinton’s peccadilloes gave Hartman the ammunition to play up the president’s larger-than-life traits, portraying him as a joy-filled man of many voracious appetites. [SNL]

So great it set a new standard for impressions, Carvey’s Bush uttered catchphrases that became so ingrained in our culture, many to this day think Bush said them himself. [SNL]

Carvey’s take on the priest-turned-pundit showed how McLaughlin favored crisp, interrupted discussion and, ultimately, his own simply stated views over those of his panelists. [SNL]

Another figure ripe for parody, Perot’s Texas twang and swagger combined with his diminutive height and high-pitched voice to cut a unique and memorable swath through American politics. [SNL]

Hartman sank his teeth into the impression of the former POW and made it a hard one to watch without laughing, even if those laughs now come with a large side of guilt. [SNL]

So great it set a new standard for impressions, Carvey’s Bush uttered catchphrases that became so ingrained in our culture, many to this day think Bush said them himself. [SNL]

If Hartman captured Clinton’s gregariousness, Hammond evoked his mischievous boyishness, the “aw shucks” ability to have any misstep treated like a teen’s unwitting infraction. [SNL]

So great it set a new standard for impressions, Carvey’s Bush uttered catchphrases that became so ingrained in our culture, many to this day think Bush said them himself. [SNL]

If Hartman captured Clinton’s gregariousness, Hammond evoked his mischievous boyishness, the “aw shucks” ability to have any misstep treated like a teen’s unwitting infraction. [SNL]

Chase’s twists, turns, and tumbles in Ford’s name not only helped make him a star, but many believe the portrayal contributed to Ford’s loss in the 1976 presidential election. [SNL]

It was a one-time appearance, but Rocky star Weathers perfectly captured Jackson’s infamous rhetorical flourishes. [SNL]

The best impressions nail an essential aspect of their subject. Lovitz’s “I can’t believe I’m losing to this guy,” (aka George H.W. Bush) became a touchstone comment. [SNL]

Radner was never known as an impressionist, but she was an endearing actress. It spoke to her warmth as a performer that Wawa came off as a hilarious set piece, not a mocking one. [SNL]

Aykroyd emphasized Nixon’s verbal quirks just enough to solidify the impression without making them the centerpiece. [SNL]

Hartman portrayed Reagan as a secret mastermind using forgetfulness as a ruse, giving a forceful performance to create an alt-world Reagan that, had he existed, would have explained a lot. [SNL]

Over a decade before SNL, political impressions were defined by JFK-impersonator Meader. Every JFK impression since owes a debt to this comedy pioneer. [The First Family Recordings]

Aykroyd's Carter captured how the president often matched the looseness of the times, such as speaking publicly about the lust in his heart. [SNL]

Chase’s twists, turns, and tumbles in Ford’s name not only helped make him a star, but many believe the portrayal contributed to Ford’s loss in the 1976 presidential election. [SNL]

The best impressions nail an essential aspect of their subject. Lovitz’s “I can’t believe I’m losing to this guy,” (aka George H.W. Bush) became a touchstone comment. [SNL]

Aykroyd emphasized Nixon’s verbal quirks just enough to solidify the impression without making them the centerpiece. [SNL]

This Kissinger impression, best known for the “Pray for me, Henry” sketch with Aykroyd’s Nixon, proved Belushi could play low key just as well as he did over-the-top. [SNL]

It was a one-time appearance, but Rocky star Weathers perfectly captured Jackson’s infamous rhetorical flourishes. [SNL]

Hartman portrayed Reagan as a secret mastermind using forgetfulness as a ruse, giving a forceful performance to create an alt-world Reagan that, had he existed, would have explained a lot. [SNL]

It was a one-time appearance, but Rocky star Weathers perfectly captured Jackson’s infamous rhetorical flourishes. [SNL]