'After David': 'SNL' spoofs Michigan House election hearing

"Saturday Night Live" opened its episode this weekend with a take on the four-hour Michigan House Oversight Committee hearing that featured Rudy Giuliani, President Donald Trump's attorney, and multiple viral moments.

Saturday's spoof included parodies of Michigan lawmakers, of individuals allegedly plotting to kidnap Gov. Gretchen Whitmer, and of Mellissa Carone, a Dominion Voting Systems contractor who worked the election in Detroit.

"I have brought before you a dozen highly intelligent, barely intoxicated individuals who are all eyewitnesses," said Kate McKinnon sitting in front of a Michigan flag and doing an impersonation of Giuliani at the beginning of the sketch Saturday night.

The parody came three days after a House Oversight Committee hearing that saw Giuliani present individuals who were at the TCF Center, where absentee ballots were counted at Detroit. The former New York City mayor also urged Michigan lawmakers to intervene in the state's election, which President-elect Joe Biden won by 154,000 votes.

The Wednesday hearing got attention for inaccuracies presented by witnesses and for its dramatic moments, including Carone taking issue with lawmakers' questions.

At one point, Rep. Steve Johnson, R-Wayland, pressed Carone, who alleged there were tens of thousands of fraudulent votes counted, about why there weren't major differences between poll book totals, which track voters, and ballot count totals.

"What did you guys do, take it and do something crazy to it?” Carone then asked Johnson, referring to the Detroit poll books.

"Saturday Night Live's" Cecily Strong played Carone in the sketch. Strong's character said she had signed an "after David," referring to the affidavits that have been signed by dozens of Michigan residents who were at TCF Center on Election Day.

"Yeah, that's correct. David signed and then I signed right after David," Strong-as-Carone explained. Strong's character also confused Dominion machines with Domino's Pizza ("my vote took longer than 30 minutes, so it's 'spose to be free," she slurred) and was swilling a martini by the end of her testimony. 

Also during the sketch there were impersonations of Rep. Cynthia Johnson, D-Detroit, a member of the House Oversight Committee, and Rep. Matt Hall, R-Marshall, chairman of the House Oversight Committee.

When contacted after the segment aired Saturday night, Hall said, "People are scared, they are worried, and they have concerns about how the election was conducted in Michigan. I can't control everything that was said at the hearing but I presented a fair opportunity for people to be heard about what they observed."

The purpose of the meeting was to hear from people who witnessed things at TCF Center, where Detroit's absentee ballots were counted, Hall said on Wednesday.

But Johnson has said witnesses should have been sworn in before giving their accounts. She said "the world" was watching.

"You’re allowing people to come in here and lie. And I know they’re lying," Johnson told Hall on Wednesday.

Trump's campaign has been pushing to discredit Michigan's election. However, the president's supporters haven't presented evidence of widespread fraud. Michigan's results have been certified by bipartisan boards of canvassers in all 83 counties and by the Board of State Canvassers.

"Saturday Night Live" wasn't finished with Michigan after the cold-open; a pre-taped sketch that spoofed Eminem's "Stan" starred Pete Davidson as an obsessed fan writing to Santa Claus and asking for a PS5, and ended with a cameo from the real Slim Shady himself.

cmauger@detroitnews.com

agraham@detroitnews.com

Adam Graham contributed to this story.