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SNL’s cold open sees ‘poor little’ Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden visit Church Lady after ‘most satanic year in history’

Dana Carvey’s Church Lady made a return to ‘Saturday Night Live’

Katie Hawkinson
Sunday 08 December 2024 11:48 EST
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Church Lady (Dana Carvey) appears alongside Matt Gaetz (Sarah Sherman), Hunter Biden (David Spade) in the December 7 Saturday Night Live cold open sketch
Church Lady (Dana Carvey) appears alongside Matt Gaetz (Sarah Sherman), Hunter Biden (David Spade) in the December 7 Saturday Night Live cold open sketch (Saturday Night Live)

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Saturday Night Live roasted “poor little” Matt Gaetz and Hunter Biden in its cold open sketch as the two scandal-plagued figures paid a visit to Church Lady following the “most satanic year in history.”

The “Church Chat 2.0” skit, airing December 7, welcomed back Dana Carvey’s character, Church Lady, an elderly woman dedicated to her faith who interviews various celebrities.

In the sketch, Church Lady labeled 2024 “the most satanic year in history” before calling former MAGA lawmaker Gaetz, played by Sarah Sherman, to the stage.

The Florida Republican had been nominated by President-elect Donald Trump to serve as Attorney General but, days later, removed himself from consideration amid intense scrutiny over a House Ethics Committee inquiry regarding allegations of wrongdoing, including claims he had sex with a 17-year-old girl. Gaetz has denied all wrongdoing and has not been charged with a crime.

The House committee was set to release a bombshell report on its fndings two days after Trump tapped Gaetz, but Gaetz’s nomination led him to resign from the House, effectively ending the probe.

This week, House Republicans voted down two efforts by Democrats to force the committee to release the report.

Sarah Sherman plays Matt Gaetz alongside Dana Carvey’s Church Lady character on ‘Saturday Night Live'
Sarah Sherman plays Matt Gaetz alongside Dana Carvey’s Church Lady character on ‘Saturday Night Live' (Saturday Night Live)

Sherman and Carvey were quick to joke about the situation.

“You were involved in some little sexual peccadillos, and they wrote a whole report about it, but somehow we never got to see it, did we? Isn’t that convenient,” Carvey’s Church Lady quipped.

“Poor little Matt Gaetz, you better repent, Matt, there’s only 17 days left in Christmas,” Carvey added.

“You had me at 17,” Sherman’s Gaetz said – a reference to the age of the girl at the center of the allegations against him.

Next up to see Church Lady was David Spade playing President Joe Biden’s son Hunter Biden.

Biden announced last week he had pardoned his son for “offenses against the United States which he has committed or may have committed or taken part in during the period from January 1, 2014 through December 1, 2024.” This comes after Hunter was convicted of three federal gun charges related to his purchase of a firearm in 2018. Three months later, he also pleaded guilty to nine federal tax charges.

David Spade as Hunter Biden on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ cracking jokes about President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon him
David Spade as Hunter Biden on ‘Saturday Night Live,’ cracking jokes about President Joe Biden’s decision to pardon him (Saturday Night Live)

“They singled me out just because of who I am,” Spade’s Hunter complained to Church Lady about his situation.

“Much like Trump, they went after me because of my last name and all the illegal things I did.”

He continued: “I've gone through a lot, but my dad loves me unconditionally, and that's the greatest gift of all. Also to anyone who has seen any of those laptop photos, just remember the camera takes off two inches.”

The sketch ended with a song performed by Church Lady, Gaetz, Hunter and others.

“Will Christmas be about Jesus? Nobody knows,” the cast sang.

“Or will it be about Santa hanging with the ‘ho, ho, hos’? Satan had a good year.”

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