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Saturday Night Live turned The White Lotus into a political parody called The White POTUS in its April 12, 2025 episode. The sketch followed a version of the Trump family staying at a luxury resort, similar to the vacation setting in The White Lotus season 3.
James Austin Johnson played Donald Trump, replacing Jason Isaacs’ character Timothy Ratliff. Trump’s wife Melania, taking over the role of Ruth (originally played by Parker Posey in The White Lotus), was played with the same viral Southern accent by Chloe Fineman. Scarlett Johansson made a surprise appearance as Ivanka Trump, standing in for Piper Ratliff (played by Sarah Catherine Hook in the HBO show).
The scene was set during breakfast, mimicking The White Lotus' dialogue while hinting at real-world issues.
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“Can you imagine how awful it would be if America lost all its money?” Melania said.
The parody also included Beck Bennett as Vladimir Putin, Lizzo as a hotel guest inspired by Natasha Rothwell’s character, and Jon Hamm as Robert F. Kennedy Jr., filling in for Walton Goggins’ Rick. Sarah Sherman played Chelsea, inspired by Aimee Lou Wood’s role.
Saturday Night Live: Trump family takes over the resort in parody version
In the Saturday Night Live sketch The White POTUS, the Trump family replaced the Ratliff family from The White Lotus season 3. James Austin Johnson played Trump as a man quietly going through a crisis while Melania spoke to him.
“You would never let our economy go to pieces, right hon?” she asked Trump.
Trump didn’t respond. Instead, he picked up a chicken nugget. While the original character turned to medicine, this version of Trump turned to fast food. Scarlett Johansson appeared as Ivanka Trump, staying calm while the rest of the family showed signs of stress or confusion.
Donald Trump Jr. and Eric Trump were also part of the scene. Eric, played by Alex Moffat, acted unsure and needed help from others. The sketch showed the family thinking about money, power, and how they looked to the outside world—all while staying at a fancy resort.
The idea followed The White Lotus format but replaced personal drama with political topics. The sketch brought in real-life issues like the economy and public image, using the resort setting as a backdrop. Though the place seemed calm, tension remained just beneath the surface.
By using well-known characters and actors, SNL poked fun at both political figures and vacation-based dramas.
Guest cameos and characters reflect the original series
The Saturday Night Live sketch also featured other characters staying at the resort. Jon Hamm played RFK Jr., taking over the role of Rick from The White Lotus. He acted like a guest with strong opinions. Sarah Sherman played Chelsea, based on Aimee Lou Wood’s character, using fake teeth and a thick accent to match the original.
Lizzo, the musical guest for the night, appeared as a woman checking her bank account.
"It was 20 million last week!” she said, reacting to the sudden drop in her bank account.
Beck Bennett returned to Saturday Night Live as Vladimir Putin. In one scene, he spoke to Trump, who seemed upset and tried to calm him down. He wore a shirt that said “KING” as a small visual joke.
The sketch followed the structure of The White Lotus, where different stories played out at the same time. Instead of focusing on personal drama, this version focused on public image and political themes.
The Trump family was shown facing their own issues while trying to appear calm. The other guests at the resort acted in ways similar to the original show but with political humor added in.
Watch the latest episode of Saturday Night Live currently streaming on Peacock.
