Earlier this week, Americans received the first-ever test of the presidential alert system to their cell phones, and seconds after it was received, people started tweeting fake screen shots of what messages from Donald Trump would look like. Just a few days later, “Saturday Night Live” aired its second episode of the 44th season and was able to get in on the action.
“SNL” created a fake ad for cell phone provider Cricket Wireless that featured a number of characters receiving messages Trump Tweets-as-alert-notifications. “Finally, a system to reach all Americans when it counts most,” the ad said.
Kate McKinnon was jogging unsuspectingly down a New York City street when she received the message, “Failing New York Times Says I Cheated On Taxes, Duh! It’s called being smart!” Later, she received one that said “Hurricane Florence got the Carolinas so wet I thought it was the premiere of ‘Magic Mike’” and another that said “Congrats to good guy Brett Kavanaugh. #BelieveMen.”
Meanwhile, Aidy Bryant was home with a child when she received one that said, “Puerto Rico is fine now! I guess the paper towels worked” and one about liking Kid Rock more than ever, and Leslie Jones was a meeting when she received, “September 11th was almost a month ago.”
“Is that even information?” she wondered aloud.
As alerts kept coming in, McKinnon tossed her phone in a food cart vat, while anonymous hands tossed theirs into garbage cans just outside cubicles.
But Heidi Gardner did not receive any alerts. “Thanks, Cricket Wireless,” she said.
Watch the “Emergency Alert” sketch below:
“Saturday Night Live” airs live coast-to-coast Saturdays at 11:30 p.m. ET / 8:30 p.m. PT on NBC.