Remember when Donald Trump was running for president and everyone thought he would eventually just peter out of the race? Back then, the businessman was more known for his abrasive - yet entertaining - essence than he was for any real political chops. This had made him one of the most-watched reality stars of the 2000s on The Apprentice franchise.
The idea of him in the White House always seemed more like fodder for the best jokes than any version of reality. This is why when he started to shoot up the polls during the Republican primary race in 2015, Hollywood entertainment suits ramped up their coverage of him.
At the height of all this drama, Trump was invited to host NBC's Saturday Night Live for the second time in his life. But when the writers sat down with him for the pre-show table read, they found him to be slow and typically narcissistic - and immediately knew they were in for a long week.
Fueled Their Doubts
As a weekly show that has been around since the mid-'70s, there is a lot that goes into the making of an SNL episode. The process begins with ideas being pitched by the writers' team as well as the cast, to producer and creator Lorne Michaels. Alongside the designated hosts for that week, Michaels selects the ideas that he feels are best suited, and these go forward into the writing phase.
Once all the sketches have been outlined on paper, the hosts get to sit down with the cast and the writers for a table read before rehearsals and any pre-taped segments can begin. It was at this stage in preparation for the November 7th, 2015, show that Trump met with the SNL community and ended up fueling their doubts about his suitability for the slot.
In his introductory monologue, the New York mogul was supposed to be joined by cast members Darrell Hammond Taran Killam, who are regular impersonators of him on the show. The latter was particularly unimpressed with Trump at the table read; it was he who revealed exactly how the cast felt about having the future president go through the sketches with them.
Nobody Wanted Him There
Killam was being interviewed by Brooklyn magazine when the topic of Trump and his SNL appearance alongside him came up. He disclosed how he felt that nobody had really wanted to have the newly-minted politician there and that he himself didn't look like he was enjoying himself.
"It was not fun, and most of the cast and writers were not excited to have him there," Killam said. "I didn't get the feeling that he was excited to be there, and it felt like a move for ratings from both sides."
The actor also went on to detail how Trump had a difficult time connecting with the material. "He was… everything you see. What you see is what you get with him, really. I mean, there was no big reveal," he continued. "He struggled to read at the table read, which did not give many of us great confidence. Didn't get the jokes, really. He's just a man who seems to be powered by bluster."
Killam was speaking on the back of a successful spell playing the character of King George III in the acclaimed Lin-Manuel Miranda play, Hamilton.
Took Issue With The Display
During one of the Broadway Hamilton shows, Trump's political right-hand man Mike Pence had turned up. This was just about one year since the magnate had appeared on SNL. By then, he had of course sealed up the Republican nomination and gone on to defeat former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton in the general election. Pence was vice president-elect when he attended the staging.
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The cast that day, led by Brandon Victor Dixon - who portrayed Vice President Aaron Burr in the production - took the opportunity to address Pence, thank him for being there, and relay some of their concerns.
Reading from a written speech, Dixon said, "We, sir, are the diverse America who are alarmed and anxious that your new administration will not protect us, our planet, our children, our parents, or defend us and uphold our inalienable rights. We truly hope that this show has inspired you to uphold our American values and to work on behalf of ALL of us."
Predictably, the president-elect took issue with the display and went on Twitter to claim that the actors had 'harassed' his future vice president. Once again, Killam felt that this was just Trump being his typical self. "Yeah, well. The president is a moron," he quipped.