Staff Reports
Television teams crafting satirical news should stay abreast of current events—a seemingly straightforward piece of advice that "Saturday Night Live" appears to have overlooked, much to their detriment as evidenced by the recent episode that has drawn significant criticism.
The crux of "SNL's" misstep unfolded during the "Weekend Update" segment, where host Colin Jost's attempt to mock former President Donald Trump resulted in him inadvertently making a mockery of himself. Following a prolonged anti-Trump diatribe, which included an unfavorable comparison to O.J. Simpson's verdict, Jost took aim at Trump for allegedly coining the term "debank."
This attempt at humor unraveled when the clip "SNL" played featured a Trump speech from January 17 in Portsmouth, New Hampshire, where he vowed to prevent financial institutions from "debanking" conservatives. Ignoring the questionable comedic quality, the sheer ignorance on display, whether genuine or feigned, was staggering. "Debanking" refers to a strategy aimed at compelling political opponents to conform by cutting off their access to the financial system—a concept that should be familiar to anyone claiming knowledge of current events, especially a host or writer for a show like "SNL."
Despite being predominantly used in Republican circles, as conservatives often find themselves victims of debanking, the term is part of the political lexicon. In 2021, Axios, a liberal news outlet, reported on how Republican lawmakers were irate over John Kerry urging banks to help reduce U.S. carbon emissions. In Canada, in 2022, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau employed debanking against "Freedom Convoy" truckers opposing his strict coronavirus vaccination measures. In 2023, Newsweek published a column on "Politically Motivated Debanking," and in 2024, Bloomberg used the term without explanation, assuming its common understanding.
In the isolated world of "Saturday Night Live" writers and their audience, however, "debanking" was presented as a bizarre idea Trump just concocted, despite ample evidence of its usage in reputable news sources. The social media backlash highlighted the failure of this misguided attack, with criticism emphasizing the dangers of living in an echo chamber.
This episode unfolded in the context of a sitting president whose involvement in a lucrative crime organization benefiting his family has been exposed. Despite ongoing ethical and legal controversies and apparent cognitive decline, "SNL" writers chose to focus their satire on Trump, delivering what critics deemed a disgraceful attempt at humor. The disconnect from pressing news issues was evident, raising questions about whether the "SNL" team truly stays informed about the broader political landscape.
