Who Should Play Donald Trump On SNL?

For every truly great presidential candidate, there has to be a truly great comedic thorn-in-the-side, right? Would Sarah Palin's stint as a VP candidate, explosive though it was, be as memorable if not for Tina Fey's virtuoso performance? Jason Sudekis' appropriately stately Mitt Romney, to cite another? Basically, if you've really made it as a politician, some comedic actor somewhere gets thrown in a room and has to figure out how to ape your style. So, what SNL actor would you want to play Donald Trump?

Okay, to be clear, I think we all realize Trump's candidacy is likely to be shortlived. He's not going to win the Republican nomination, not by a long shot, and his infamous ego probably precludes him from willingly suffering a primary defeat. In other words, a quick exit might be possible. But that doesn't mean the good people at Saturday Night Live shouldn't take an opportunity when it's given — has anyone ever been more farcically mockable than Donald Trump? Will there ever be another chance like this?

Here are some familiar faces from the present and past who would be great to see as Mr. Trump. Here's hoping he sticks around long enough!

Amy Poehler

Why assume only the guys get to have this kind of fun? Poehler's made a great post-SNL career playing Hillary Clinton fan number one Leslie Knope on Parks And Recreation, among others, and SNL fans know full well her range of comedic skills. She couldn do for Trump's blustery, staccato style what Tina Fey did for Palin. This one gets bonus points because of how much I want to see her hair plastered back in that Trump-helmet style.

Al Franken

It's a little hard to say what Franken would've done with a character like Trump, who's admittedly a bit more of a hulking presence, but it's too good to pass up by virtue of Franken's new career — Democratic Senator from Minnesota. And his turned as the light-haired, emotionally-attuned self-help guru Stuart Smalley does open up the chance for a different, counterintuitive angle on the Trump dynamic — what tender feelings truly lurk deep inside that man's heart?

Darrell Hammond

He was the elder statesman of SNL for years, retiring from the show in 2009 after an unprecedented 14-year run that saw him take on the big challenge of President Bill Clinton and Al Gore alike. There can be little doubt that he'd be the most talented impressionist to take on that inimitable Trump style, and he's done it before! Basically, this is the safe, assured choice. It's not as though he's not around, after all — he's currently SNL's announcer, after the death of Dan Pardo in 2013.

Honorable Mention: Jon Stewart

Okay, so Stewart was never an SNL cast member like these others are/were, nor is he a great impressionist — his knowingly bad George W. Bush impression reflects that pretty clearly. But he has guest hosted in the past, and really, he deserves this — he's previously joked that he might not retire from The Daily Show if Trump ran, feeling so compelled by a chance to satirically roast him. And, of course, he was the originator of a particular vulgar nickname that Trump doesn't seem to like very much.

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