SNL Challenges Evangelical Voters | Sojourners

SNL Challenges Evangelical Voters

Jessica Chastain wants everyone to know: She's losing hope that values matter when it comes to President Donald Trump's behavior.

On Saturday's episode of Saturday Night Live, Chastain played the host of a game show called "What Even Matters Anymore?" She read examples of troubling things Trump did or said in the news this week, and asked her contestants whether each shocking story mattered. (Spoiler: The answer is always the same.)

At one point, Chastain levels directly at evangelicals who voted for Trump.

"The president has an extramarital affair with a porn star, right after his wife gives birth to a son, then he pays the porn star to shut up! Does it even matter to, say, his evangelical base?" 

Kenan Thompson, playing a contestant, clicks his buzzer and says, "To evangelicals, of course it matters, it's against everything that they stand for." 

ENH.

"You'd think so, but no," says a beleauged Chastain. "They say he's just repented, and they forgive him. And Mike Pence is like, 'This my dude!'" 

The accumulating hypocrisies eventually lead the host to drink while her contestants come up with a thing the president could possibly do that would matter enough that he would face consequences. "Trump punches pope," offers Cecily Strong. (A tipsy Chastain: "You'd think so, but a lot of people still hate Catholics. Next.") 

Eventually, Kate McKinnon breaks the fourth wall, revealing that the skit was all a set up to let Jessica Chastian work through her despair. "The host of tonight's show needs a hug!" wails Chastain. 

Don't we all.