SNL smashes 'Love Actually' spoof with Hillary Clinton asking elector to change her vote

Everyone remembers that scene in Love Actually, when Andrew Lincoln turns up at Keira Knightley’s door with a hi-fi, chunky jumper and messages of almost creepy love written on white card.

Saturday Night Live got into the Christmas spirit when Kate McKinnon, aka Hillary Rodham Clinton, stood at the doorstep, warning an elector about the potential dangers of the president-elect.

Eight days before Christmas, and just two days before 19 December when 538 members of the electoral college convene to rubber stamp the election of Mr Trump, Ms McKinnon reels off her worries on a stack of white cards while a giggly, undecided elector hovers in the doorway.

"Let me just say," one card reads. "Because it’s Christmas… And at Christmas you tell the truth… I know you’re an elector… And on December 19th… You’re supposed to vote for Donald Trump.

"But bish…" The next card says: "He cray…"

Ms McKinnon's character lists the reasons why Mr Trump might be "cray": refusing to attend security briefings, provoking China to steal a US navy drone, and his cabinet appointees' negative stance on immigrants, conspiracy theories, women and gay people.

Ms McKinnon suggested the elector vote for anyone else – John Kasich, Tom Hanks, The Rock.

The spoof taps into the mind-set of millions of people who signed a petition to reform or scrap the electoral college, a system which elected Mr Trump, despite Ms Clinton gaining a lead of more than 2.8 million votes in the popular count.

Electoral college members are usually chosen due to their party loyalty, therefore most of them are likely to stick with their party's candidate come 19 December.

One elector in Texas and a group of Democrats, however, have vowed to become "faithless electors" by breaking their pledge to vote for the candidate that won in their state and instead vote for a more moderate Republican. But most of the faithless electors are already bound to vote for Ms Clinton and therefore the protest vote is very unlikely to swing the result.

During times of turmoil, the comedy show has the potential to convey a powerful message to the president-elect, who has already shown his ire about the Alec Baldwin sketches on twitter. Even Mr Trump’s aides, such as campaign manager Kellyanne Conway, have shared their views on CNN, perhaps knowing the message was more likely to be digested by Mr Trump via the medium of cable television.

Electors who break their pledge may face a fine of up to $1,000 depending on state laws, a fact that Ms McKinnon brought up in the sketch. It was a small price to pay, the show seemed to suggest, to avoid Mr Trump being president for the next eight years.

“But keep in mind, if Donald Trump becomes president, he will kill us all,” the cards read.

In Love Actually, the US president visits UK prime minister Hugh Grant. Played by Billy Bob Thornton, he has blonde hair and acts inappropriately with a Downing Street staffer.

Mr Trump has yet to tweet about the latest sketch.