These SNL political sketches are the stuff of legend! Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we’re counting down our picks for the most iconic “SNL” sketches that have hilariously spoofed presidential debates, delivering both laugh-out-loud moments and, at times, some sharp truths.
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00:00He's gonna be tough on Russia, but he's basically Putin's puppet.
00:03Liar.
00:04Trademark.
00:04Welcome to WatchMojo, and today we're counting down our picks for the most iconic SNL sketches
00:10that have hilariously spoofed presidential debates, delivering both laugh-out-loud moments
00:14and, at times, some sharp truths.
00:17I'd also like to give a shout-out to the third graders of Gladys Woods Elementary
00:22who were so helpful to me in my debate prep.
00:2510. Democratic Debate Cold Open
00:29The first Democratic primary debate of 2016 featured five candidates vying for the opportunity
00:35to become the party's nominee.
00:36But let's be honest, everyone was only interested in two, Hillary Clinton and Bernie Sanders.
00:42This SNL sketch hilariously captured that truth, treating the others practically as stage props.
00:48We do need to fix things, Bernie, but you're promising everyone a golden goose.
00:53There is no golden goose.
00:54So America, follow me, because I've got some chicken that'll do.
00:59The sketch also introduced us to Larry David's eerily accurate impression of Sanders,
01:03which was so spot-on it was almost unsettling.
01:06What's the deal with emails, anyway?
01:08I forgot my password the other day, so they say,
01:11We'll email you a new one.
01:13But I can't get into my email.
01:16Forget the password.
01:18I mean, talk about a ball buster.
01:21Clinton and Sanders face off against each other,
01:23covering everything from her email scandal to his crusade against big banks.
01:27And then there was former Virginia Senator Jim Webb,
01:30who battled for attention only to quickly back down
01:33when his controversial views came under the spotlight.
01:36Okay, Senator, here's a question.
01:37You once said that affirmative action is racist against whites.
01:41Explain?
01:46Pass.
01:479. VP Fly Debate Cold Open
01:50Everyone who watched the 2020 vice presidential debate between Kamala Harris and Mike Pence
01:54came away buzzing about one thing.
01:57The fly.
01:58That moment was parodied in this sketch,
02:00which kicked off with Pence quietly taking the podium,
02:03while Harris made a grand entrance, dancing and spraying disinfectant everywhere.
02:15Then, in a twist on the 1986 horror The Fly,
02:18Joe Biden tries to teleport into the debate, but ends up as, you guessed it, a fly.
02:28As if that wasn't enough, a second fly joins the mix,
02:32revealed to be the reincarnation of Herman Cain.
02:43Despite all of the chaos, Maya Rudolph's Harris completely steals the show,
02:47delivering zingers and priceless reactions,
02:50before finally doing what we all wanted to do.
02:53Now, I'd like to hear the vice president's response,
02:56and while he speaks, I'm going to smile at him
02:59like I'm in a TJ Maxx and a white lady asked me if I work here.
03:038. Bush-Dukakis Debate Clocking in at a whopping 14 minutes,
03:08this spin on the second 1988 presidential debate between George H.W. Bush and Michael Dukakis
03:13threw everything at the wall, and most of it stuck.
03:18From the moment Dana Carvey's Bush gave John Lovitz's Dukakis a patronizing pat on the head,
03:35we knew we were in for a wild ride.
03:38Although Carvey's Bush impression wasn't fully polished yet,
03:41he still nailed the then-vice president's robotic delivery and knack for dodging important questions.
03:47Loveitz also held his own against Carvey,
04:01expertly capturing and poking fun at Dukakis's icy, emotionless demeanor.
04:06Well, if such a time machine were possible,
04:09I'd like the vice president to explain
04:11why we haven't already been visited by time travelers from the future.
04:15The sketch wrapped up on a high note
04:17by bringing out a literal child to play Bush's running mate, Dan Quayle.
04:22He was just great!
04:23He was presidential.
04:25He's going to be a great president, and I'll be the vice president.
04:297. First Biden-Trump Debate
04:32By the time the 46th season of SNL premiered in October 2020,
04:37all anyone could talk about was the chaotic first debate between Joe Biden and Donald Trump.
04:41We begin with the Supreme Court.
04:43President Trump, two minutes.
04:45I'm gonna do 10.
04:46So it made perfect sense that the season opener zeroed in on the train wreck,
04:51delivering a highly anticipated parody.
04:53The real-life debate had no shortage of lies, insults, and interruptions,
04:58and this sketch did its best to keep pace.
05:00But he's lying. I can't point out if he says a lie.
05:05I said two words, you son of a no!
05:09Don't do it, Joe.
05:12That's exactly what he wants.
05:14It nailed the absurdity,
05:16portraying Trump as more interested in interrupting than debating,
05:19while Biden remained focused on maintaining his cool amidst the chaos.
05:23Losing control.
05:27Back to you, Chris.
05:28Of course, no SNL political sketch would be complete without a bunch of cameos,
05:31with Maya Rudolph returning as Kamala Harris
05:34and singer Harry Styles turning in a surprise pre-taped appearance.
05:38I know what'll calm me down.
05:40My new Harry Styles meditation tape.
05:45We dip our toes in the cold, wet sand.
05:48Nice.
05:49And sit and face the sea.
05:51Number six, the 2012 vice presidential debate.
05:54Ever since he became the vice presidential candidate in 2008,
05:58we've seen many iterations of Joe Biden on SNL,
06:01but none quite match the high-octane, in-your-face energy of Jason Sudeikis.
06:06First of all, I want to thank Center College for hosting us this evening.
06:11Oh boy, here we go!
06:12This hit its peak in the 2012 VP debate spoof against Taron Killam's Paul Ryan,
06:17where Biden constantly threatens physical harm against Ryan,
06:20flexing his old man strength.
06:22You want to know my workout?
06:24When the Amtrak breaks down on my morning commute,
06:27I strip down to my tighty-whities,
06:30I push that bitch all the way to Washington.
06:33Oh, what a difference time can make.
06:34The rest of the sketch doesn't stray far from the actual debate,
06:38often lifting quotes directly from the candidates.
06:41But it still delivers big laughs with its over-the-top moments,
06:44from Ryan chugging water like a camel
06:46to Biden's desperate attempt to connect with young voters.
06:49And to the young people, to the young people out there who worry
06:52they're never gonna, never gonna see that social security they're entitled to,
06:55I say, don't worry, homies, Big Daddy Joe's got your back.
07:01And let's not forget the cherry on top, a surprise cameo from Usain Bolt.
07:06Usain, please tell him who won the 100 meters.
07:09I did.
07:10You did. And where did I finish?
07:12You didn't finish. You weren't even there.
07:16Thank you, Usain.
07:17No problem.
07:18Number five, VP debate, Sarah Palin and Joe Biden.
07:22Four years before taking on Paul Ryan,
07:24Joe Biden squared off against Alaska's folksy governor Sarah Palin
07:28in the 2008 vice presidential debate.
07:30You know, John McCain and I, we're a couple of mavericks.
07:34And gosh darn it, we're gonna take that maverick energy right to Washington,
07:38and we're gonna use it to fix this financial crisis
07:41and everything else that's plaguing this great country of ours.
07:44SNL alum Tina Fey hilariously embodied Palin.
07:48Nailing the quirky spirit of the entire election season
07:51with lines that quickly became pop culture staples.
07:54In this sketch, Fey kept the laughs rolling,
07:56giving ditzy answers that had nothing to do
07:59with the questions asked by Queen Latifah's moderator.
08:01Governor Palin, would you like to respond
08:03to Senator Biden's comments about John McCain?
08:06No thank you, but I would like to talk about being an outsider.
08:10Biden, on the other hand, was depicted as torn over his feelings
08:13for Palin's running mate, John McCain, his dear friend turned opponent.
08:17I mean, let's be frank, John McCain, and again,
08:20this is a man I would take a bullet for,
08:23is bad at his job and mentally unstable.
08:26The sketch wrapped up with a nod to Palin's beauty pageant past,
08:29as she whipped out a flute ready for a talent portion that never was.
08:33Are we not doing the talent portion?
08:43That's the hustle.
08:44Number four, the Colorado presidential debate, Obama and Romney.
08:48Sometimes the most absurd SNL debate sketches are the ones
08:52that take the tiniest moments from the real life debates
08:55and spin them into the most hilarious fantasies.
08:58There are a lot of points I want to make tonight,
09:01but most importantly, 20 years ago today,
09:05I became the luckiest man on earth
09:10when Michelle Obama agreed to marry me.
09:12Take this one, for example.
09:14In the actual first debate between Barack Obama and Mitt Romney in 2012,
09:18the president was criticized for looking distracted.
09:21SNL took this and ran with it,
09:23depicting him zoning out because he forgot his wedding anniversary
09:26and desperately pondering what gift to get the first lady.
09:29Let's see, they had a Denver Broncos sweatshirt.
09:32She might like that.
09:34The hotel has some nice bath robes for sale.
09:37That could be good.
09:38World's greatest mom coffee mug.
09:41Everybody likes coffee.
09:43Then he starts griping about the high altitude in Denver
09:46where the debate took place.
09:48What is this, 10 miles above sea level?
09:51I can barely keep my head up.
09:55I think I might pass out.
09:58But why stop there?
09:59Everyone from Romney to moderator Jim Lehrer
10:01gets their own introspective voiceover moment.
10:04Because of course, who doesn't deserve one?
10:06I mean, where but on PBS can you find quality programming
10:10like Antiques Roadshow, Masterpiece Theater
10:13featuring Downton Abbey, or special delights
10:16like Bill Moyer's Journal?
10:20In one of SNL's earliest debate parodies,
10:23the show set the stage for political satire in America
10:25for years to come.
10:27The first part, of course, is the eternal question why
10:30that has plagued philosophers from Socrates
10:32to Thomas Aquinas to Bob Dylan.
10:34Featuring Chevy Chase as a heavily medicated Gerald Ford
10:37and Dan Aykroyd as Jimmy Carter,
10:38this sketch wasted no time diving into absurdity.
10:41Chase dramatically reveals a syringe sticking out of a suit
10:44and buzzes in as soon as the national anthem starts,
10:47eager to name that tune.
10:52I can name that tune in four notes.
10:54Things only go downhill from there
10:56as Ford fumbles over his past blender
10:58on Soviet Union domination in Eastern Europe
11:01and Carter leans into his reputation for womanizing.
11:04At this moment in my heart,
11:05I'm wearing a leather mask and breathing in your ear.
11:07While Chase and Aykroyd's impressions
11:09were ridiculously good, perhaps the real highlight
11:12came at the end with the nonsensical list of credits.
11:16Number two, Donald Trump versus Hillary Clinton
11:19third debate cold open.
11:20The hotly contested 2016 presidential election
11:23saw candidates Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton
11:25face off in three debates, all of which
11:28received the SNL treatment.
11:29In the first debate, I set the table.
11:33In the second debate, I fired up the grill.
11:36And tonight, I feast.
11:38But perhaps the most blistering spoof
11:41was the third and final one featuring Tom Hanks
11:43as moderator Chris Wallace and Alec Baldwin and Kate McKinnon
11:47returning as Trump and Clinton, respectively.
11:49I have personally met with the Mexican president.
11:51I forget his name.
11:52I think it was something like Mr. Guacamole.
11:58I'm sorry, excuse me, Senor Guacamole.
12:02The sketch starts off with Trump promising to be calm,
12:04but as expected, he quickly reverts to his usual antics,
12:08hurling insults and tagging his opponent as a nasty woman,
12:12just like in the actual debate.
12:14Meanwhile, McKinnon portrayed Clinton
12:16as the steady, grounded candidate,
12:18brimming with confidence and happy to watch
12:20her rival crash and burn.
12:21Mr. Trump, it has become very clear
12:24that you're probably going to lose.
12:29Correct.
12:32Ah well, we all know how the real story ended.
12:34And America, you deserve better than an F.
12:37So on November 8th, vote for me,
12:40and I promise I will be a stone cold B.
12:43Before we unveil our top pick,
12:45here are some honorable mentions.
12:46The 2020 Democratic Debate.
12:49SNL shows off its deep bench of talented performers
12:52with several spot-on impressions.
12:54Mayor Bloomberg, how did you get in here?
12:56Well, I tipped the doorman $30 million.
12:59GOP debate cold open.
13:01Daryl Hammond and Beck Bennett shine in a face-off
13:04mostly between Trump and Jeb Bush.
13:06Hey Jeb, a loser say what?
13:08What?
13:10Second presidential debate.
13:12Kerry has an unknown plan,
13:13while Bush plans to get rid of the bad internets.
13:16I think the problem here may be more of a question
13:19of getting rid of the bad internets
13:22and keeping the good internets.
13:24CNBC presents the third Republican presidential debate,
13:28a fascinating who's who
13:29of who didn't become president in 2012.
13:32Hey, how cool is little Ronnie Paul here, huh?
13:35That with his little, little birdie arms, huh?
13:38Final debate part one.
13:40Joe the plumber steals the show in this sketch,
13:42even though we never see him.
13:44Joe stands about three and a half inches tall.
13:48Except when he's upset,
13:49then he can become as big as a house.
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14:07Number one.
14:08First presidential debate.
14:10Al Gore and George W. Bush.
14:12Much has been said about how
14:13the first presidential debate
14:15between Al Gore and George W. Bush
14:17contributed to Gore's eventual defeat.
14:19If anything,
14:20this parody of the debate
14:21hammered that nail even deeper into Gore's coffin.
14:24Well, Jim,
14:26Governor Bush and I have two very different plans
14:30to offer tax relief to American families.
14:33The sketch amplified the vice president's tendency
14:36to devolve into technical tirades,
14:38highlighted by the constant references
14:39to his notorious lockbox.
14:41A lockbox.
14:43But Bush didn't escape unscathed either.
14:46First of all, I think that any instability
14:48in that first country you mentioned
14:51uh, is troubling.
14:55And clearly the second guy you spoke of
14:58uh, beat the first guy.
15:01His knack for mispronouncing words
15:03inspired the SNL writers
15:04to coin the now famous
15:05strategery.
15:06Strategery.
15:08A line so iconic that Bush himself
15:10jokingly embraced it.
15:11Perhaps the 2000 election
15:13might have turned out differently
15:14if the debate had gone another way.
15:16But one thing is clear.
15:18Few SNL sketches have had such
15:20real-world implications as this one.
15:22Personally, I favor seeking
15:24the diplomatic help
15:27of a person I call
15:29guy number three.
15:30Which of these is your personal favorite
15:32SNL debate sketch?
15:33Sound off in the comments below.
15:35Now one of the keys to the lockbox
15:37would be kept by the president.
15:40The other key would be sealed
15:42in a small magnetic container.
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