Saturday Night Live reacted to Donald Trump’s indictment with James Austin Johnson, as the former president, “singing” along to songs that he plans on releasing as part of an album to raise money to pay his lawyers.
Johnson cited the lucrative effect of “Justice for All,” an atrocious single that features the J6 Prison Choir — those locked up in a Washington, D.C. jail for their roles in the Jan. 6 insurrection.
“That song raked in so much cash, I said why stop there? That’s why I’m putting out my new album: Now That’s What I Call My Legal Defense Fund, a.k.a Trump Bopz. And I’m bringing all the hits,” Johnson said, referring to the long-running series of compilation albums with a similar title.
Johnson went on to mumble his way through some of the words to The Black Crowes’ “Hard to Handle,” have a duet of “Islands in the Sun” with Kenan Thompson, who played boxing promoter and Trump pal Don King, groan the chorus of “Ironic” by Alanis Morissette, and add some anti-drug asides to “Because I Got High” by Afroman, played by Devon Walker.
“Wow, what a deal! Just 30 classic covers, all horrible,” Johnson said.
Also on the album is “Boy’s a Liar Pt. 2” by Ice Spice and PinkPantheress. SNL‘s Mikey Day, playing a much too enthusiastic Donald Trump Jr., joined in, much to his father’s dismay.
“Very strange energy, my son. Don’t like it,” Johnson said before Day left the stage awkwardly.
Johnson, in light of Trump’s expected arraignment on Tuesday, closed with a call back to Trump’s tweet encouraging supporters to show up to his “Stop the Steal” rally on Jan. 6, 2021.
“Manhattan, I’ll see you on Tuesday,” he said ominously. “Will be wild!”
