SNL mocks Trump over Covid-19 vaccine rollout

Kate McKinnon played Dr Fauci in the sketch

Donald Trump was mocked for his approach to the Covid-19 vaccine rollout on the latest episode of Saturday Night Live (12 December).

Kate McKinnon impersonated infectious disease expert Dr Anthony Fauci, saying: “This president has done about as good a rollout as I did throwing out that pitch at the Nationals game.”  

In July, Fauci threw out the ceremonial opening pitch for the Washington Nationals to kick off the 2020 Major League Baseball season, but the ball hit the grass and rolled short of the home plate.

In character, McKinnon added: “We did this vaccine WW2 style – we made England go in first to see what’s what and then we swoop in at the end and steal the spotlight.  

“Tom Hanks will make 10 movies about it and when it’s all over you can kiss any nurse you want.”

Beck Bennett, playing CNN's Wolf Blitzer, added that the vaccine is “like the PS5 – everybody wants it, nobody can get it, and if you're rich you already got it like a month ago”.

They also joked that some states on the coasts will be given special treatment, claiming that the vaccine would be distributed “to states starting alphabetically...  starting with A-California and then B-New York City”.

The US Food and Drug Administration authorised emergency use of the vaccine late Friday night (11 December). Last-minute preparations for the vaccine rollout came as the US death toll from the pandemic approached 300,000 to date.