“The whole thing was really fucking weird,” said James Austin Johnson, a featured player since 2021 on SNL, the historic late-night sketch comedy show. “Trump personally reached out to my agent—trying to disguise his voice as a female attorney—and asked if I would play President Trump in upcoming court appearances.”
“My agent,” continued Johnson, “thought it was a joke until realizing that Trump was actually being serious. Donald Trump actually thought no one would notice that it was me playing his character—and not actually him. Though the money was nice, up to $100,000 for each court appearance, my agent explained to Trump that all of the travel involved—New York, Florida, Georgia—was just too much for my schedule to accommodate.”