SNL clears Trump over NFT trading cards: ‘Looks like a scam – and in many ways it is’
Donald Trump has once again found himself at the center of Saturday Night Live merciless taunt — this time over his $99 digital trading card.
In its cold opening on December 17, the NBC program roasted Trump’s “big announcement” days earlier. While many had speculated that the announcement would be related to his 2024 campaign — such as the reveal of a running mate — it turned out to be far less notable: NFT trading cards portraying Trump as a superhero.
SNL’s James Austin Johnson appeared as Trump with a Christmas announcement defending the marketing scheme.
“It seems like a lot, seems like a scam — and in a lot of ways it is,” Johnson said. “But we love the Trump cards. We just love them. You can also get them for free by just going online and looking at them, maybe, I don’t know. Maybe take a screenshot, but we’d really prefer it if you sent $99.”
Referring to the Mar-a-Lago raid earlier this year in which classified documents were found, Johnson said those who bought the cards could win an “exclusive mystery prize” picked from a box marked “classified.”
Donald Trump Jr, played by Mikey Day, then took the stage to say the trading cards were a “totally legal product”.
“These cards are amazing and a steal,” he said.
Weekend update presenter Colin Jost also joked about the NFT trading cards during the programme.
“Semi-retired madman Donald Trump has launched a collection of digital NFT trading cards featuring him in various costumes, including cowboy, superhero and, most amazingly, the guy who didn’t dodge the draft,” he said. “I’m honestly just relieved that he’s wearing an American military uniform.”
Jost noted that the decision to sell NFTs was strange due to their less than stellar performance in the market. He also mentioned the former president’s meeting with Ye, formerly known as Kanye West, as well as white supremacist Nick Fuentes.
“It’s such a funny move to get into NFTs now after the whole market just crashed. It’s like getting into Kanye now, which Trump also did,” Jost said.
Trump’s NFT announcement has also been criticized by Trump allies, such as former White House chief strategist Steve Bannon, who said he “can’t do this anymore.”
Bannon said “no one was even talking” about Trump’s policy to fight what he called the “leftist censorship regime” if he wins the 2024 election after the NFTs announcement.
San Francisco Republican Party Chairman John Dennis tweeted about the trading cards: “I like Trump. This is not a good idea. Whoever advised Trump to sell NFTs should not be fired. They should be banished.”
Mr Trump later took to Truth Social to boast about the sale, saying “we made history. My Trump Digital Trading Cards sold out in hours. Congratulations to the collectors. Thank you”.
On Sunday morning, the price of the NFTs had skyrocketed to 0.57 Ethereum, a cryptocurrency, on trading site OpenSea, Newsweek noted. That’s around $675.
