"Embarrassed by how low SNL has sunk": Skit on University Presidents sparks outrage as Stefanik sketch labeled antisemitic

The cold opening skit of this week’s Saturday Night Live (SNL) came under fire as soon as it surfaced online. The skit, which was a part of Monday's episode, faced backlash as the show mocked Elise Stefanik, the GOP Representative of New York. Stefanik was in charge of the hearing that saw controversial congressional testimonies of the university presidents of Harvard, Pennsylvania, and MIT. People who saw the skit were furious that SNL chose to mock Stefanik instead of the presidents of the universities.

It is worth noting that Stefanik asked the university presidents if "calling for the genocide of Jews” would violate the codes of conduct at their institutions. However, the GOP Representative didn't get a direct answer as all three college presidents sidelined the question.

On the latest episode of SNL, which was released on Monday, comedian and cast member Chloe Troast assumed the character of Elise Stefanik. Troast made fun of Elise instead of taking a dig at the testimonies of the university presidents. As mentioned earlier, netizens were furious about the same and took to X, formerly Twitter, to call the show out, with one person even saying:

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“This is vile”: Internet slams SNL for mocking Elise Stefanik instead of university presidents

The US Congress held a House Education and the Workforce Committee hearing on the rising anti-Semitism in American college campuses on December 5, 2023. The hearing was presided over by House Republican Conference Chair Elise Stefanik and was attended by the Presidents of three prestigious institutions. They included Liz Magill of the University of Pennsylvania, Dr. Claudine Gay of Harvard, and Sally Kornbluth of MIT.

As part of the hearing, Stefanik asked the presidents whether or not “calling for the genocide of Jews” was against their respective university’s code of conduct or not. However, ABC News reported, none of them responded to the question directly.

The President of the University of Pennsylvania, Liz Magill said that it depended upon the context. She added that if the speech "turns into conduct," it could be harassment." Harvard's President Dr. Gay stated that when speech crossed into conduct, it "violates our policies.”

Meanwhile, MIT President Kornbluth said that she wasn't aware of students on her campus calling “for the genocide of Jews." She noted that had that been the case, she would call for an investigation and consider it “as harassment if pervasive and severe.”

While all the presidents earned severe backlash online, Stefanik too made headlines for her contentious exchange with the trio.

However, what viewers were infuriated about the most was that the cold open on the SNL episode on Monday dealt with Stefanik’s role at the hearing and mocked her involvement. In the episode, Chloe Troast, as Stefanik said that she was at the hearing as "hate speech has no place on college campuses."

"Hate speech belongs in Congress, on Elon Musk’s Twitter, in private dinners with my donors, and in public speeches by my work husband Donald Trump," Chloe as Stefanik went on to say.

Chloe Troast playing the role of Elise Stefanik also began her skit by thanking the chairwoman and pretending to be Billy Eichner about to scream questions at the Presidents. She went on to ask whether antisemitism was “yay or nay?”

As soon as SNL’s episode aired, it garnered severe backlash online for choosing the wrong party to mock. Netizens united to call out the show for focusing its sketch on Stefanik rather than the university presidents. Viewers online called out SNL stating that the skit was tone-deaf and "the most pathetic SNL skit of all time."

It is noteworthy that in the aftermath of the hearing, Harvard's President Dr. Gay issued a public apology saying she “failed to convey what is my truth.” During a December 7, 2023, interview with The Crimson, she also said that she was sorry.

Meanwhile, UPenn President Magill was forced to resign after facing severe backlash and also issued a mea culpa on X, more than 24 hours after the hearing.

As per NBC News, MIT President Kornbluth has not yet issued an apology or a clarification. In a statement, Mark Gorenberg, the chair of MIT Corporation said that he and the executive committee of the university “entirely support” their President. Gorenberg also said that they lauded her integrity, moral compass, and ability to unite the community around MIT’s core values.