Saturday Night Live used its cold open to take aim at the list of employees who left the Trump administration in less than a year.
The skit opens with a “Christmas message” from President Donald Trump and First Lady Melania Trump, played by Alec Baldwin and Cecily Strong. “The war on Christmas is over,” Baldwin deadpans. “It will soon be replaced by a replaced by a war with North Korea.”
Baldwin-as-Trump then announces he will honor all of the employees who work for him in the White House. “But because I can’t help myself, we’re gonna also remember all the haters and losers I destroyed this year and we’re going to hang ornaments with their faces on it we’re calling the tree of shame,” he says.
After Kellyanne Conway — played by Kate McKinnon — decides she wants to hang former FBI Director James Comey, who Trump fired in May, on the tree, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, played by Aidy Bryant, adds ousted Press Secretary Sean Spicer and former Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci on the tree.
Vice President Mike Pence, played by Beck Bennett, then comes forward with an ornament of former National Security Advisor Mike Flynn, who pleaded guilty earlier this month to lying to the FBI about his contact with the former Russian ambassador during the presidential transition, and is now cooperating with special counsel Robert Mueller. “He lied to us Mr. President, and he acted alone, without our knowledge,” said Bennett.
Leslie Jones playing Omarosa Manigault Newman, the former Apprentice star who recently announced she was leaving the White House in January, then appears, banging on the door, an apparent allusion to reports that she had been fired even though she said she resigned. After Baldwin orders that the lights be turned off, Jones responds, “Too late, I see you in there Donald!” The Secret Service ultimately comes to escort her away.
Scarlett Johanssen, playing First Daughter Ivanka Trump, arrives with an ornament for former Alabama Senate candidate Roy Moore, explaining that she tried to make an ornament for Steve Bannon, but his face would not fit. Don Jr. appears next, with an ornament for eight other people, including former Chief of Staff Reince Preibus, Paul Manafort and George Papadopoulos. He is joined by his brother Eric Trump who made a macaroni star.
Finally, McKinnon comes on as Attorney General Jeff Sessions, dressed as an elf, who asks to put the angel on the tree. “This angel’s got Robert Mueller’s face on it, cuz he’s next!” she says. “We got to cut off the head to kill the snake.”
Omarosa appears again, with the theme music to The Apprentice.
Watch the video below:
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Write to Alana Abramson at Alana.Abramson@time.com