Trump's Reasoning For Hosting SNL Was Insulting

GOP presidential hopeful Donald Trump brought Saturday Night Live some of its best ratings in years. Trump commandeered the show on Saturday night and almost every aspect of it felt somehow vetted by him. The candidate had previously stated that he'd rejected sketches that felt a bit too risqué and that might harm his chances at the polls. Despite this hands on approach, the Donald seemed to have a surprisingly dismissive, almost insulting reason for even agreeing to go on the show in the first place. Why did Donald Trump host SNL?

In a monologue following the SNL cold open, Trump stated that he had "nothing better to do" than host the show, hence his making an appearance. Trump said:

A lot of people are saying, "Donald, you're the most amazing guy. You're brilliant, you're handsome, you're rich, you have everything going. The world is waiting for you to be president so why are you hosting Saturday Night Live?" And the answer is I have really nothing better to do ... Part of the reason I'm here is that I really know how to take a joke.

Nov. 7 marked the second time that Trump had been at the helm of SNL. The first time he assumed hosting duties was in 2004 while he was still on NBC's The Apprentice.

Many sketches played on the Donald's bombastic personality, including one featuring fake tweets from the candidate that were meant to insult SNL cast members. Another sketch showed Trump as president in the year 2018 and provided a glimpse into the country's future with him at the helm. Both felt as if they were somehow extensions of Trump's heavy campaigning, however. The only moment featuring Trump that didn't circle back to his presidential aspirations was a brief appearance in a "Hotline Bling" parody in which the GOP candidate played a tax guy awkwardly dancing to Drake.

For his efforts, the episode has been widely panned in addition to having been protested. Trump insinuating that he had nothing else going on on a Saturday night feels like incredibly hollow reasoning. The candidate and his campaign team put in so much time to make sure the episode was — to quote Trump — "modest" that it seems as if he'd been contemplating the move for quite some time.