“Saturday Night Live” targeted Rep. George Santos (R-N.Y.) in its opening sketch this weekend, roasting the embattled lawmaker over his embellished résumé and recent controversies.
The skit featured Santos, played by Bowen Yang, as an NFL sideline reporter covering Saturday’s Philadelphia Eagles and New York Giants playoff game for Fox. The hosts joked that they had to hire Santos when they saw his résumé mentioned winning a Heisman Trophy and having more championships than pro football legend Tom Brady.
The hosts joked that Santos was the first player in NFL history to lead the league in passing and rushing yards at the same time.
“I am proud to be the first African American quarterback to ever dunk a football,” the fake Santos said.
The skit continued with jokes about Santos’s claims about his athletic career and jabs at the latest claims that he performed as a drag queen in Brazil, which he has denied.
“I was young and I had fun at a festival. Sue me for having a life,” Santos said to reporters at an airport when asked about the claim on Saturday.
The skit ended with comedian Mikey Day saying, “George Santos represents America and can vote on wars.”
Santos has faced calls to resign after a wave of stories surfaced about the lawmaker’s claims regarding his past. He has admitted to embellishing his résumé but has refused to step down from his position in Congress. Republican leadership sat him on two House committees last week.
Updated at 9:33 a.m.