Wild 'SNL' Cold Open: Tom Hanks, Nicki Minaj & Trump's Shocking 'Gay' Confession

Tom Hanks made a memorable return to “Saturday Night Live” on Halloween night, reviving his iconic, lounge-lizard character, David S. Pumpkins, in a cold open that delivered pointed political satire. The sketch sharply targeted President Trump’s increasingly unusual public comments regarding men’s physiques and his campaign rhetoric. The segment also featured Saidah Belo-Osagie portraying Nicki Minaj, parodying the star’s vocal endorsement of Trump and his MAGA movement, envisioning her as Trump’s next choice for press secretary following Katie Zacharia’s rapid departure.

The satirical segment commenced with Grace Reiter and Jeremy Culhane as a young couple embarking on a spooky ride at a low-end amusement park Halloween celebration. Kenan Thompson, clad in a ghoulish Grim Reaper costume, guided the couple through a series of frightful scenes. It was during this eerie journey that Hanks’ David S. Pumpkins character, first introduced to the show in 2016, made his appearance. Accompanied by Mikey Day and a special cameo by former “SNL” trouper Bobby Moynihan, both adorned in full-body skeleton jumpers and white face paint, Pumpkins delivered his signature dorky dance routine, adding a layer of bizarre humor to the horror-themed ride.

The ride was soon interrupted by James Austin Johnson, masterfully portraying President Trump. Trump interjected to lament the Republican Party's grim prospects for a significant defeat in the upcoming Nov. 3 midterm election. The segment then delved into a series of surprisingly risqué jokes, highlighting Trump’s unusual and publicly observed obsession with the physical attributes, specifically the “butts” or “ass,” of candidates he has been endorsing at recent campaign rallies.

Johnson’s Trump character remarked, “We both appeared in 2016. We’re both very loud, very orange and, frankly, very annoying,” drawing a parallel between himself and the flamboyant David S. Pumpkins. He continued with sexually suggestive comments, praising Hanks' physique: “Good acting, great ass. A great ass on Hanks — something that I’ve enjoyed lately admiring. Not that there’s anything wrong with that. Just that I might be gay.” Trump’s grievances continued as he whined about the midterms, stating, “The midterms are on Tuesday. The polls say we’re doing very badly — aww aww. They’re saying Texas is turning purple, just like my hand,” as Johnson dramatically raised a hand revealing a gigantic bruise.

Furthering the political satire, Johnson as Trump called Texas’ GOP candidate for the U.S. Senate, Ken Paxton, “an ugly son of a bitch” but paradoxically urged voters to choose him over his Democrat opponent, James Talarico, whom Trump acknowledged was “much better looking. What a dynamic ass.” While Trump delivered these peculiar endorsements, the other characters in the scene remained frozen in place, until Thompson's Grim Reaper character momentarily broke free, rushing past Trump. Trump called out, “thank you for that donation,” to which Thompson acidly replied, “Yeah, you wish, bitch.”

Towards the end of the segment, Saidah Belo-Osagie barreled in as Nicki Minaj, with Trump hailing her devotion to his cause. Belo-Osagie’s Minaj humorously quipped, “Trump’s out here killing it — and by it, I mean my career.” True to his character’s fixation, Trump noted Minaj's well-known curvy rear-end, remarking, “Perhaps if it was on a man, I could admire it.” The sketch concluded with the brief appearance of Katie Zacharia, portrayed as Trump's recently flamed-out press secretary, who comically fumbled her attempt to deliver the iconic “SNL” opening line, “Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.” The Halloween installment of “SNL” was hosted by “Obsession” star Inde Navarrette, with Gracie Abrams serving as the musical guest.