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Tom Hanks has found himself at the center of controversy following his portrayal of a Trump supporter on the SNL 50th-anniversary special. The Oscar winner reprised his role as Doug, a MAGA-hat-wearing contestant on the parody game show Black Jeopardy, a character he first played in 2016. However, the skit did not sit well with conservative viewers, who accused SNL of perpetuating outdated stereotypes about Trump supporters.
In the segment, Doug expressed his belief that "the world would be better if more people went to church." When host Darnell Hayes, played by Kenan Thompson, went in for a handshake, Doug initially recoiled, exclaiming, "Don't like that, whoa, whoa, whoa!" before reluctantly agreeing to the gesture. The moment drew laughter from the audience but prompted outrage online.
Many Trump supporters took to social media to criticize the skit, arguing that it falsely portrayed them as racist. Former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aide Link Lauren wrote on X, "This show wonders why their ratings are in the gutter. Trump won the popular vote. This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show for snobbish liberal elites." Another X user claimed, "SNL's desperate attempt to smear Trump supporters as racist is tired and pathetic. Maybe if they focused on being funny instead of pushing an agenda, they wouldn't be tanking in ratings."
Outkick founder Clay Travis also weighed in, writing, "For its 50-year anniversary special, SNL had Tom Hanks play a racist Trump supporter afraid to shake a black man's hand. Fun fact: Trump's 2024 election win was the LEAST racially divisive American election since 1964."
Others criticized Hanks directly, expressing disappointment in the actor's involvement in the sketch. "I used to have so much respect for @tomhanks as an actor. Now, I can't bear to watch any of his movies—even from the '80s," one user wrote. "I just cannot accept how he can disrespect half the country."
The controversy extended beyond the Black Jeopardy skit. During SNL's 50th-anniversary concert, Hanks and his wife, Rita Wilson, jokingly walked out after host Jimmy Fallon announced that no awards would be given out. The moment, which appeared to be part of a planned bit, left some viewers puzzled.
Reflecting on his long history with SNL, Hanks described hosting the show as "the single most exciting thing that has happened in my career," adding, "Don't read the bad reviews because someone out there is just going to hate your guts."
