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The Jan. 6 hearings have been prime political fodder for months, and they continue to get the late-night comedy treatment, this week serving as the cold open for « Saturday Night Live. »
Kenan Thompson opened the show presiding as Jan. 6 committee chairman Rep. Bennie Thompson during the closing statements of the hearings, calling the attack at the U.S. Capitol one of the most « dramatic and consequential moments in our nation’s history. »
« So to fight back, we assembled a team of monotone nerds to do a PowerPoint, » Thompson says.
Heidi Gardner as Rep. Liz Cheney jokes across the aisle: « Whether you’re a Republican who’s not watching or a Democrat who’s nodding so hard your head is falling off, one person is responsible for this insurrection: Donald Trump. And one person will suffer the consequences: me. »
Cheney (Gardner), daughter of the former vice president in the George W. Bush administration, brings up her political power-player father. « You might be wondering what makes me so tough. And I ask you, who was your dad? Is it Dick Cheney? »
She adds: « I guess you could say I have big Dick Cheney energy. »
Earlier this week during the real hearing, the committee showed footage of Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Vice President Mike Pence conferring on the state of the Capitol. Saturday’s episode of the sketch comedy series showed its own clips from the video, with Chloe Fineman’s Pelosi on the phone with Pence.
