SNL's Donald Trump reacts to Epstein emails: 'If I was innocent, wouldn't I just release all the files?'

The new episode of Saturday Night Live is here, and it jumped straight into the controversy surrounding the Jeffrey Epstein emails.

Saturday Night Live takes a dig at Trump over Epstein emails

In its latest cold open, James Austin Johnson, who is essaying the role of President Donald Trump, seemingly attempted to defend his version of the US President after the House Oversight Committee released emails linked to convicted sex offender Jeffrey Epstein earlier this week.

Trump’s name surfaced in the exchanges, with Epstein claiming the president “knew about the girls,” a charge Trump has denied while distancing himself from Epstein’s trafficking crimes, reported USA Today.

What happened in SNL latest episode

The latest SNL sketch unfolded at a mock White House press briefing, kick-starting with press secretary Karoline Leavitt (played by Ashley Padilla). She is seen insisting, “There was no news this week, nothing happening with the president, no weird information was revealed!” Reporters immediately pounced, demanding answers as to why Trump’s name appeared in the alleged emails. Padilla’s version of Leavitt refused to budge, repeating that the president had done nothing wrong.

“If anything, his crime was loving too much, and possibly too young,” she said in the satire.

‘Donald Trump’ on Epstein mails

Johnson’s Trump eventually took over the podium, declaring he is “hiding almost nothing” about Epstein. “Just enough to make it extremely suspicious.”

He added, “Jeffrey Epstein, I barely knew the guy, OK? As evidenced by the thousands of pictures of us together, dancing and grinding our teeth at various parties, always leering and pointing at something just off camera − probably a book we're excited to read.”

The cold open also played with one particularly eyebrow-raising email in which Epstein’s brother asks if Russian President Vladimir Putin had the photo of Trump “blowing Bubba.”

SNL's Trump sells Epstein emails for $800

Referring to the claims, Johnson’s Trump announced he was now selling “one of a kind” gold-framed printouts of the Epstein emails for $800.

“It makes a great stocking stuffer,” he said. “I just ordered the one that says, 'Does Putin have the photo of Trump blowing Bubba?' We love that one."

The sketch wrapped with Trump pardoning a turkey for Thanksgiving, who, according to him, “by complete coincidence, is a convicted sex criminal.”

Glen Powell hosted the Nov 15 episode of Saturday Night Live. It marked Powell’s hosting debut at SNL after a cameo in 2024 when his 'Anyone But You' co-star Sydney Sweeney headlined the episode. Olivia Dean served as the musical guest.

Last week's SNL episode

Only a week earlier, SNL opened with another Trump-centric sketch with

James Austin Johnson. The episode was a spoof of the viral moment a drug company representative fainted behind the US President during a White House event. Johnson’s Trump insisted his reaction was “very normal,” as he chose to “stand there and stare like a sociopath.”

From grocery price hikes to flight cancellations after the government shutdown, the sketch took a dig at various trending topics in the country. Missed watching it? Check it out here.