Natalie Portman returns to 'SNL' to deliver another epic rap, the cast takes on the Nunes memo, and Melania gets advice from past first ladies

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Natalie Portman returns to 'SNL' to deliver another epic rap, the cast takes on the Nunes memo, and Melania gets advice from past first ladies

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NBC "Saturday Night Live"/YouTube

Alec Baldwin plays President Donald Trump on "Saturday Night Live."

  • Natalie Portman returned to host "Saturday Night Live" this week.
  • She delivered a sequel to her epic rap from 2006, and the cast took on the GOP memo, Russia investigation, and the Time's Up movement.
  • In the cold open, Alec Baldwin playing President Donald Trump called in to his favorite show, "Fox & Friends."


Natalie Portman returned to host "Saturday Night Live" in one of the best episodes all season.

In the cold open, President Donald Trump (played by Alec Baldwin) called into his favorite show, "Fox & Friends," to get a pep talk.

Bragging about his State of the Union, Baldwin said 10 billion people watched it. He added, "A lot of folks are saying, including Paul Ryan, that it was better than Martin Luther King's 'I dream of Jeannie' speech."

He then brought up the highly controversial memo that Republicans on the House Intelligence Committee released last week. The document claims that the Department of Justice and FBI bypassed proper protocol when they sought a warrant to surveil a Trump campaign adviser.

The FBI warned against releasing the memo, and Democrats accused Republicans of cherry-picking details to include in the document. Trump and his supporters have seized on the memo to exonerate him in special counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russia's meddling in the 2016 presidential election.

"Who's the most innocent guy in the whole wide world?" Baldwin-as-Trump asked.

"You are!" the Fox & Friends hosts shouted back.

White House communications director Hope Hicks (played by Cecily Strong) also appeared on the show and told the Fox anchors that there were "no real jobs" in the administration.

"Every day feels like when a group of strangers suddenly work together to push a beached whale into the sea," she said.

More Nunes memo

"Weekend Update" anchors Colin Jost and and Michael Che took on the GOP memo, as well.

"First of all, you know that Donald Trump didn't read this memo," Che said. "It's four pages long. The only time he reads four pages in a row is when he is ordering breakfast."

Jost took aim at Trump for releasing the memo despite the FBI's warnings that parts of it might not be accurate. "Because if anyone's concerned about accuracy, it's Mr. 239 pounds," Jost said, as a photo of Trump wearing tight white shorts and playing tennis appeared on screen.

Trump's physician announced the results of the president's first formal health exam in January, and some people were skeptical of Trump's reported weight.

Melania gets a visit from past first ladies

In a sketch that saw first lady Melania Trump pouting as she prepared to attend the State of the Union address, former first ladies - dead and alive - came to Trump to share their wisdom.

Portman, star of the movie "Jackie," appeared from a cloud of smoke as late first lady Jackie Kennedy. "I have come to you in your hour of need, because I know how trying being first lady can be," Portman said. "All first ladies have a platform. Yours is bullying, mine was little hats."

Leslie Jones played a confident and vegetable-loving Michelle Obama, while Aidy Bryant put an axe through the bedroom window as Martha Washington.

"No first lady has been more humiliated than me," Melania Trump said, citing her husband's alleged affair with porn star Stephanie Clifford, who also goes by the stage name Stormy Daniels.

Not a moment too soon, Kate McKinnon arrived as Hillary Clinton.

"Melania, I feel your pain, but you married him. And like America you had a choice, so don't choose to eat 7-11 sushi and then come to me saying, 'Something's wrong!'" McKinnon said.

Portman performs

The last time Portman hosted in 2006, she shed her good-girl image in an epic, curse-filled rap.

She delivered a sequel on Saturday, rapping in defense of the "Star Wars" prequels she starred in, making jokes about the Tide Pod challenge, and championing the "Time's Up" movement. It was incredible.

During the actress's opening monologue, Portman talked about becoming a mother and the upcoming Olympic Games in Pyeongchang, South Korea. The camera intermittently cut to NBC broadcast news reporters offering biting running commentary on Portman's monologue.

Watch both below: