Shane Gillis Has Donald Trump Impersonation Face-Off With James Austin Johnson In ‘SNL’ Trump Sneakers Skit

Nellie Andreeva

25 February 2024 at 2:50 am·1-min read

Shane Gillis is known for his Donald Trump impersonations on stage, and he brought the character to his hosting debut on Saturday Night Live.

In a parody of a movie trailer for “White Men Can Trump from Newsmax Studios,” Gillis plays an average guy named Gordon Dwyer who “can’t catch a break” at work, in love and on the basketball court. But when he receives a pair of Trump’s recently unveiled $399 branded sneakers from the ex-president, his life changes.

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No, his basketball skills do not improve with the sneakers on; he still badly misses. But, physically transforming into Trump, complete with the famous comb-over hair, he tells his friends, “I didn’t miss, it went in,” and they buy it. Because “winning is a state of mind.”

As Gordon later explains, the sneakers “give me the power to say I’m good at basketball and then double-down on that until people actually start to believe it.”

You can watch above how Gordon’s newly found powers also translate to his job and love life in the sketch, which culminates in Gillis’ Trump-like character coming face to face with SNL cast member James Austin Johnson’s version of the former president.

Trump’s new “gold” sneakers were also referenced during Weekend Update, with Michael Che noting that “you can check them out on the feet of the guy getting dragged off your flight.”

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