James Talarico kicks off ‘SNL’ days after historic Texas Senate win

James Talarico, a Democrat whose U.S. Senate victory Tuesday was once thought improbable in the Republican stronghold of Texas, made a surprise appearance to help kick off the latest episode of “Saturday Night Live.” The state lawmaker and seminarian’s defeat of Attorney General Ken Paxton was one of a slew of victories for Texas Democrats, who claimed every statewide office up for grabs, including state Rep. Gina Hinojosa’s gubernatorial win, after a decades-long drought. “SNL’s” cold open featured New York’s Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (played by Kenan Thompson) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (Sarah Sherman) celebrating Tuesday’s wins, which helped to set up Jeffries as the likely House speaker in January. Sherman’s Schumer introduced the pair as “establishment Democrats” and asked, “Do we even know how to lose?” Thompson’s Jeffries answered: “Yes.” Still, he suggested a toast to victory.

“We flipped the House, we flipped the Senate, and how did we do it?” he said. “Me!” said a party crasher, President Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson. He called the Democrats’ victory wave a “blue Toonami,” referring to Cartoon Network’s late-night block of anime shows, and he indicated he wouldn’t challenge the midterm election’s results. “I accepted the results, which is almost scarier in a way,” he said. “It’s like, ‘What the hell is he planning?’ I’ll tell you what I’m