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Donald Trump slams SNL episode, threatens action

This is not the first time Donald Trump has attacked Saturday Night Live.

This is not the first time Donald Trump has attacked Saturday Night Live. Photo: WILL HEATH/NBC

In its final episode for 2018, Saturday Night Live has prompted US president Donald Trump to ponder legal action for what he says is the “real scandal of one-sided coverage”.

In a parody of the classic Christmas film It’s a Wonderful Life, the show presented an alternate world where Mr Trump was not elected US leader.

Among other things, Melania Trump has divorced her husband, and Robert Mueller (Robert De Niro) says he never had to launch an investigation of “some idiot for treason”.

In a message posted to Twitter, Mr Trump lashed out at the skit, saying the nature of its content “should be tested in courts”.

“A REAL scandal is the one sided coverage, hour by hour, of networks like NBC & Democrat spin machines like Saturday Night Live. It is all nothing less than unfair news coverage and Dem commercials. Should be tested in courts, can’t be legal? Only defame & belittle! Collusion?” Mr Trump wrote on Twitter.

In the skit, Mr Trump, played again by Alec Baldwin, is approached by Clarence the Angel, played by comedian Keenan Thompson, who shows him that everyone is a lot happier because he’s not in their lives. 

“Everyone looks so different. What are those things on their faces?” Mr Trump says in awe.

One by one, those who work for Mr Trump, including his own family, explain to him how well they are doing without him.

Kate McKinnon who plays his counsellor Kellyanne Conway says “after we lost the campaign the devil gave me my soul back”.

“Excuse me, I have to go find my husband— who I do speak to now.”

Mr Trump is then depicted begging the angel to send him back to his own time.

The President’s attacks on the media, whether news or entertainment, have at times come with threats of legal action.

His lawyer sent legal threats to the publishers of books by Michael Wolff and Omarosa Manigault Newman, but did not follow up lawsuits.

Mr Trump has previously suggested the broadcast regulator should look at NBC’s broadcast licence, once in September and again in October, 2017.

But the agency does not issue broadcast licences to networks, only individual stations. FCC Chairman Ajit Pai also has said that the FCC does not have the authority to revoke a licence based on “the content to a particular newscast”.

Mr Trump also has attacked Saturday Night Live before.

In September, he wrote, “Like many, I don’t watch Saturday Night Live (even though I past hosted it) – no longer funny, no talent or charm. It is just a political ad for the Dems. Word is that Kanye West, who put on a MAGA hat after the show (despite being told “no”), was great. He’s leading the charge!”

West appeared on the show’s 2018 season premiere.

-with AAP

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