Donald Trump had some unexpected competition for the spotlight during Saturday Night Live's Halloween episode, and it came in the form of a man wearing a pumpkin-covered suit. Tom Hanks returned as his cult-favourite character David S. Pumpkins on 31 October, but the nostalgic appearance quickly became a vehicle for political satire.
James Austin Johnson's impression of the president interrupted the Halloween attraction, turning the sketch into a series of jokes about Trump's campaign troubles, his comments about other men's appearances and his celebrity supporters. Rapper Nicki Minaj also became part of the punchline, with new cast member Saidah Belo-Osagie portraying the musician in a parody of her public support for Trump.
Trump Turns David S. Pumpkins Into a Political Punchline
Hanks' return initially appeared to be a straightforward Halloween reunion. Dressed in his familiar orange-and-black suit, David S. Pumpkins appeared alongside his dancing skeleton companions, played by Mikey Day and returning former cast member Bobby Moynihan. However, Johnson's Trump soon interrupted the attraction, joking that he and Pumpkins had more in common than audiences might expect.
David S. Pumpkins made his SNL debut in 2016, and the fictional president described them as loud, orange and annoying. The comparison gave the sketch an easy way to connect Hanks' eccentric Halloween creation with Trump's decade in the political spotlight. The jokes then shifted towards Trump's recent remarks about men's appearances.
Johnson's character praised Hanks' acting before enthusiastically complimenting his backside. He continued the gag by suggesting that his interest in men's physiques might mean he was gay, introducing the deliberately absurd phrase 'gay dementia' as part of the joke.
The routine was a reference to Trump's recent campaign-trail comments about the appearances of male political candidates. Rather than simply impersonating the president's familiar speaking style, SNL used those remarks as material for a broader joke about his public persona.
The midterm elections also became part of the sketch. With the 3 November vote approaching, Johnson's Trump complained about his party's polling position and joked about Texas potentially turning blue.
He held up his visibly bruised right hand, comparing its purple appearance to the state's political prospects. The joke also referenced the Texas Senate contest between Republican Ken Paxton and Democrat James Talarico.
Trump's fictional version of events included an awkward endorsement of Paxton, whom he insulted for his appearance before acknowledging that Talarico was better-looking. The exchange continued the sketch's running joke about the president's attention to male candidates' physical features, while bringing an upcoming election into the Halloween comedy.
Nicki Minaj's Political Support Becomes Another Target
Minaj's appearance added another celebrity dimension to the political satire. Belo-Osagie portrayed the rapper after her recent public alignment with Trump, including an appearance alongside him at a Michigan rally in October. The sketch imagined the musician as a potential addition to his political team, introducing her as a prospective press secretary.
The joke played on the unusual crossover between celebrity culture and political campaigning, particularly as Minaj's support for Trump has attracted attention beyond her music career. Her fictional response was considerably less enthusiastic about the arrangement.
Donald Trump says Nicki Minaj has a “beautiful a**” during rally in Port Huron, Michigan:“That’s hard to miss. Stand up” https://t.co/EVbHdDw0t0
— Pop Base (@PopBase) October 25, 2026
'I'm out here killing it, and by "it," I mean my career.' she joked.
The line suggested that her political association could come with professional consequences, turning the rapper's appearance into a self-aware joke about the intersection of entertainment and politics. Johnson's Trump then returned to the sketch's recurring fixation on appearances, making another suggestive comment about Minaj's famous curves.
David S. Pumpkins Gets the Last Laugh
Despite the political interruptions, Hanks' character remained central to the cold open's conclusion. The sketch also brought in Veronika Slowikowska as Katie Zacharia, Trump's fictional short-lived former press secretary.
When she struggled to deliver SNL's traditional opening announcement, the responsibility eventually fell to Pumpkins and his skeleton companions. It was a fitting return to the character's original appeal: an inexplicably enthusiastic Halloween figure who seems to belong in almost any situation, even one involving presidential satire.
David S. Pumpkins first appeared in the 2016 Haunted Elevator sketch, which became one of the programme's most recognisable Halloween comedy moments. Hanks has reprised the character several times, with his latest appearance bringing back Day and Moynihan as the dancing skeletons.
This time, however, the character shared the spotlight with a much more topical subject. By combining Trump's campaign rhetoric, Minaj's political association and Hanks' familiar Halloween persona, SNL turned a nostalgic character reunion into a commentary on the growing overlap between celebrity culture and American politics.
