‘SNL’ Cold Open Puts Colin Jost’s Pete Hegseth at Center of Military Homecoming Sketch
Colin Jost portrayed a rowdy Pete Hegseth in the latest Saturday Night Live cold open. The sketch showed the defense secretary welcoming sailors back from the USS Abraham Lincoln after nearly a year at sea. It also mocked Christa Pike's botched execution and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The Oct. 10, 2026 “Saturday Night Live” cold open featured Colin Jost as a boisterous Pete Hegseth. The TV News item was written by Anna Tingley.
In the sketch, sailors returning from the USS Abraham Lincoln after an almost yearlong deployment were told they had to hear from the person who had sent them out before reuniting with family. The installment also targeted Christa Pike’s botched execution and Robert F. Kennedy Jr.
The sketch could shape how some viewers discuss Hegseth, military deployments, and the other figures mentioned, turning serious topics into shared cultural references. It may also affect the people depicted and their supporters, who could see the satire as either criticism or entertainment. For audiences, the cold open may influence perceptions of SNL’s political relevance and the boundaries of humor around executions and public officials. These effects are likely limited and contested, depending on viewers’ existing views.