The opening sketch, set outside a fictitious New York City courtroom, featured Chloe Fineman as Trump's attorney, Alina Habba. Fineman's character criticized the judge presiding over Trump's defamation trial as "very unfair" and made light of her own inexperience. "I am new at this and I am learning," Fineman stated. She further clarified that while Trump might pause for brief comments, he would not discuss the case, E. Jean Carroll, or the judge due to a strict gag order.
Last week, Trump attended a defamation trial in New York City, where a jury was convened to decide the compensation he must pay for defaming E. Jean Carroll, a longtime advice columnist. This follows a verdict last year that found Trump guilty of sexually abusing Carroll in the mid-1990s at a New York City department store and subsequently defaming her. Trump has consistently denied these allegations and has frequently criticized Carroll, whom he accuses of falsely implicating him.
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James Austin Johnson, portraying Trump, entered the scene shortly after, humorously criticizing his own legal team. "You're great on TV," Johnson told Fineman. "Maybe the worst lawyer I've ever had, which is quite an accomplishment. Look at this team… this is the bottom of the barrel, folks, this is who said yes. I’m in the lead for president, and this is the best I can get. Feels like a red flag, no?"
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Addressing the group of lawyers behind him, Johnson informed them, "You’re not getting paid, by the way." The lawyers exited the scene, and Johnson declared his intention to abide by the "horrible gag order," only to proceed to discuss the case, thereby violating the gag order.
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Johnson's Trump then shifted the focus to the 2024 election, where he remains the GOP frontrunner in a field that has dwindled to include only himself, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis, and former United Nations ambassador Nikki Haley.
Johnson, as Trump, referenced his victory in the Iowa caucuses last week, stating, "We just got back from Iowa, where we won. Very big, very big in Iowa." He then proceeded to mock DeSantis for his poor performance, and congratulated biotech Vivek Ramaswamy, who withdrew from the race after receiving minimal support in the Iowa caucuses and endorsed Trump.
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Johnson's Trump also mentioned the upcoming primary in New Hampshire, where he will compete against DeSantis and Haley. According to a polling index by The Hill and Decision Desk HQ, Trump continues to lead in New Hampshire, although Haley has recently narrowed that lead and overtaken DeSantis for second place.
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Johnson's portrayal of Trump included a comparison with President Biden, his likely opponent for the White House this year. He also referenced a video from 1992 showing Trump and the late financier Jeffrey Epstein at a party, which raised questions about the extent of Trump's relationship with Epstein, who was charged with sex trafficking and later found dead in his jail cell ahead of his trial in 2019.
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Johnson's Trump also mentioned his absence from the GOP debate stage and the apparent loyalty of some of his voters. "But I love this country and its traditions. That’s why I’m not doing any debates and barely doing elections. I don’t need to, my people love me. I got the old people, they’re waiting in snow for two hours to vote for Trump."
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The sketch concluded with Johnson's Trump offering a glimpse into his future, stating, "But 2024 is going to be a very exciting year. I’m either going to jail, be president or frankly, ‘The Purge,'" referring to the film where all crime is legal for 12 hours one day a year.
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