The “Saturday Night Live” cold open this week targeted former Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-Fla.) and the president’s son, Hunter Biden, as “sinners” who have managed to sidestep some measure of public accountability.
Dana Carvey reprised his role as the “Church Lady” in a sketch in which his character interviewed Hunter Biden, played by David Spade, and asked about President Biden’s recent presidential pardon.
In the scene, the Church Lady character corrected the Hunter Biden character for addressing her incorrectly.
“Oh, well, pardon me,” Spade, as Hunter Biden, said.
“Pardon you? Who do you think I am, your daddy?” the Church Lady character added to some laughter.
“All right, yes, my father did pardon me, but I thought it was a good thing for the father to forgive the son.”
Spade, as Hunter Biden, later compared his experience to President-elect Trump’s.
“They singled me out just because of who I am,” Spade said, in character. “Much like Trump, they went after me because of my last name, and all the illegal things I did.”
The president announced last week that he signed a pardon for his son, Hunter Biden, arguing that the charges against him were brought for political reasons. The pardon clears Hunter Biden in both of his federal cases.
Hunter Biden was found guilty in June in a federal case on three felony charges over his purchase and possession of a gun in 2018, violating the law by concealing drug use. He pleaded guilty in September to nine federal tax charges, avoiding a trial.
In the Church Lady’s interview with Gaetz, played by Sarah Sherman, Carvey focused on the House Ethics Committee’s report on the former congressman’s alleged misconduct. The report has not been released to the public.
“You were involved in some sexual peccadillos, and they wrote a whole report about it, but somehow we never got to see it, did we?” Carvey said, in character. “Isn’t that convenient?”
“For me, it is, yes,” Gaetz’s character replied.
The House Ethics Committee has been investigating the Florida Republican for roughly three-and-a-half years on allegations of illicit drug use and sexual misconduct, including that he had sex with a 17-year-old. Gaetz was also accused of accepting improper gifts, dispensing special privileges and favors to individuals with whom he had a personal relationship and seeking to obstruct government investigations of his conduct.
That probe, however, came to an abrupt end after Gaetz resigned from Congress last month, since the panel does not have jurisdiction over former members. Gaetz has denied any wrongdoing.
“Poor little Matt Gaetz,” the Church Lady character said. “You better repent, Matt; there’s only 17 days left in Christmas.”
“You had me at 17,” Gaetz said.
