Actor Tom Hanks is facing backlash for his MAGA-touting hillbilly character on "Saturday Night Live."
Hanks, who joined other SNL alums for the show's 50th anniversary, reprised his 2016 role as Doug on a parody game show, "Black Jeopardy," hosted by Kenan Thompson.
Wearing a "Make America Great Again" hat and a flannel shirt, Doug answered questions despite not fitting the show's demographic. He also hesitates before shaking the host's hand. He later says, "Maybe I'll start a show for you to come on and we'll call it 'White Jeopardy.'"
The skit was met with outrage among several prominent Republicans, including commentator Benny Johnson, who wrote on X: "SNL decided it was a good idea to depict Tom Hanks as a 'Racist Trump Supporter in a MAGA Hat afraid to shake a black man's hand. Donald Trump just won a landslide election and has never been more popular with Americans. They have learned nothing."
Conservative commentator Mario Nawfal wrote: "Hollywood still doesn't get it: Portraying Trump supporters as racist caricatures while he's winning record minority support. SNL's trying 2016 jokes in 2025."
Link Lauren, a former aide to Robert F. Kennedy Jr., also weighed in, saying that Hanks' character reveals why "SNL" isn't getting higher ratings.
"Tom Hanks just came out on SNL in a MAGA hat for a bit where he acted like he didn't want to shake a black man's hand," Lauren wrote. "This show wonders why their ratings are in the gutter. Trump won the popular vote. This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show for snobbish liberal elites. The current Republican Party is a big tent coalition compromised of many former Democrats. Good riddance, SNL!"
Zoe Papadakis ✉
Zoe Papadakis is a Newsmax writer based in South Africa with two decades of experience specializing in media and entertainment. She has been in the news industry as a reporter, writer and editor for newspapers, magazine and websites.
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