This sketch, featured during SNL?s milestone fiftieth Anniversary special, faced backlash from conservative audiences due to its portrayal of Trump supporters. The segment included veteran actor Tom Hanks reprising his role as a MAGA enthusiast, which many viewers found offensive and inappropriate, leading to heated discussions about comedy and its boundaries.

Supporters of Donald Trump expressed outrage, feeling unjustly labeled as ?racists.? This sentiment was particularly fueled by Hanks? character, who displayed visible discomfort while attempting to avoid shaking hands with Kenan Thompson, which many found to be a negative stereotype.

?Some conservative viewers weren?t laughing at that segment. I assume they thought this was [a new sketch]. Though there was a new addition, this is a callback [to a past sketch],? Whoopi Goldberg clarified, emphasizing that ?Black Jeopardy? is a recurring skit in which Hanks? character, ?Doug,? first made an appearance back in 2016.

?The reality remains that they are making anyone who voted for Trump appear to be a racist, and that?s why they?re mad,? stated Pleasure Behar. She further emphasized that she would never engage in such generalizations herself, highlighting the dangers of stereotyping entire groups based on the actions of a few.

?I do not believe that any group is one thing. A lot of these individuals, in my view, have been misled,? Behar continued. ?They believed that grocery prices would decrease; instead, they have risen. They thought inflation was on the decline; it is actually increasing. They thought Medicaid was secure; it is not. Similarly, they believed Social Security was protected; it is not.?

?So it?s not solely racism that caused Trump to be in office. We must remember that. Naturally, they will be insulted,? Behar added. ?We have faced insults from public figures like Bill O?Reilly when he generalized Muslims. It?s the same principle. If they can do it to them, they can do it to us.?

While Alyssa Farah Griffin expressed that the ?outrage over it is a little overblown,? Sara Haines shared her thoughts, stating she found the initial part of the sketch hilarious but felt it lost its momentum with Hanks? entrance.

?My issue with it was when it went from that pinnacle of hilarity where I was rolling on the floor, the Tom Hanks part fell flat,? she commented. ?So as a high critic of comedy, I was left thinking, ?Oh, why not end with Eddie Murphy? It was so good!??

Sunny Hostin took a different stance, stating that she ?appreciated the ending with Tom Hanks? and found value in the sketch?s message.

?I believe it?s a very subversive sketch, in fact. It highlights how Black culture is inherently part of American culture. When you have the standard Jeopardy, it represents the traditional White Jeopardy that already exists,? Hostin remarked, emphasizing the importance of representation in comedy.

?The fact that he refused to shake the host?s hand has historical precedents,? she noted, referencing a moment when Senator Deb Fischer?s husband declined to shake Kamala Harris? hand. ?This resonates with various audiences for different reasons,? she concluded, highlighting the sketch’s broader implications.

Although she is no longer on the show, former co-host Meghan McCain also voiced her opinion on the sketch via social media. She criticized Hanks, labeling him a ?hate monger? and expressing her discontent with the portrayal of conservatives.

?Good luck becoming less and less culturally relevant by the second, bro,? she added in a biting comment directed at Hanks, highlighting the tensions between Hollywood and conservative audiences.