{"id":103751,"date":"2026-06-07T04:33:25","date_gmt":"2026-06-07T04:33:25","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/103751\/"},"modified":"2026-06-07T04:33:25","modified_gmt":"2026-06-07T04:33:25","slug":"snls-james-austin-johnson-at-playing-potus-tribeca-premiere","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/people\/103751\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018SNL\u2019s James Austin Johnson At \u2018Playing POTUS\u2019 Tribeca Premiere"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n\tSaturday Night Live\u2019s James Austin Johnson<\/a> gave the Tribeca Festival<\/a> a taste, and analysis, of his celebrated stream-of consciousness Donald Trump impression. He often wings it. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cIt wouldn\u2019t feel like Trump if there wasn\u2019t this queasy feeling in the audience of \u2018what is he going to say?\u2019 and so I have to improvise for the character to kind of come alive. So I\u2019m throwing in stuff,\u201d he said Saturday after a few presidential riffs that jumped from China to Japan to Korea to Carrie Underwood to Lady Gaga to Iran, delighting the audience after the world premiere of Josh Greenbaum\u2019s new documentary, Playing POTUS<\/a>. <\/p>\n

\n\tThe film explores how comedians parody leaders and help define them to the public, an important conversation currently amid presidential tirades against late night hosts, and after The Late Show With Stephen Colbert closed up shop last month. Asked outright during a Q&A if he was afraid, Johnson said. \u201cI hope my name never comes out of his mouth.\u201d<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cOne time he [Trump] started to talk about me,\u201d Johnson said. \u201cHe was at a rally, he was talking about Alec. He was like \u2018Alec Baldwin, he\u2019s a sick puppy. There\u2019s a new guy doing it now, but we don\u2019t watch the show. They say he\u2019s pretty good.\u2019\u201d But, the comedian added, \u201cI\u2019m doing a version of it that I feel is sustainable. Because I do think that there\u2019s a little bit of a game of Operation that all of comedy is playing right now.\u201d <\/p>\n

\n\tPlaying POTUS, based on\u00a0Peter Funt\u2019s book of the same name, features an assortment of SNL<\/a> alumni and comedian including Johnson, Chevy Chase, Dana Carvey,\u00a0Will Ferrell,\u00a0Maya Rudolph,\u00a0Keegan-Michael Key,\u00a0Alec Baldwin,\u00a0Kate McKinnon, Tina Fey\u00a0and more who have played presidents and prominent political figures. Former SNL writers Robert Smigel and Jim Downey joined Johnson and the director for a conversation after the screening. <\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cThese impressions have power,\u201d Greenbaum said \u2014 increasingly so as people turn away from the news, \u201cputting comedy and the work these people do in a more and more powerful and impactful position.\u201d The doc noted that Winne The Pooh is banned in China after its president was once compared to the rotund bear of the classic children\u2019s story. That started in 2013 as the leader was walking side by side with the taller, slimmer U.S. President Barack Obama.<\/p>\n

\n\t\u201cI just don\u2019t want to ever go down that path,\u201d he said. \u201cAnd\u00a0hopefully this small film will remind us that we are lucky and should fight to protect these voices.\u201d<\/p>\n

SNL\u2019s James Austin Johnson showcases his Donald Trump inpression after Tribeca Festival world premiere of Josh Greenbaum documentary Playing POTUS pic.twitter.com\/iqSGPHba03<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Deadline (@DEADLINE) June 6, 2026<\/a><\/p>\n