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By Dennis Romero
“Saturday Night Live” had a field day with Michael Cohen’s testimony before Congress, enlisting the talents of Ben Stiller to reprise his role as President Donald Trump’s former personal attorney.
The comedy showcase opened with a scene from Wednesday’s Capitol Hill spectacle, with Kenan Thompson playing U.S. Rep. Elijah Cummings, D-Maryland, who presided over the Cohen hearing and laid down the rules.
“Please do not ooh and ah,” he said. “This is not ‘Married… with Children.'”
Cohen opened his testimony, in which he accused Trump of being a racist, by saying, “I had some help from the guys who wrote Green Book.”
He acknowledged lying before Congress during previous testimony, but Cohen promised this time would be different. “I know that I was wrong,” he said, “and I know it because I got caught.”
Cohen spent a good portion of his time speaking the lyrics to Natalie Imbruglia’s “Torn.”
“I can see the perfect sky is torn,” he said. “Thank you.”
Cast member Melissa Villaseñor portrayed U.S. Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, D-New York: “I was going to ask carefully researched questions,” she said.
Cummings responded, “Clearly that is not what today is about.”
“SNL” stayed close to the headlines with a parody of reality show “Shark Tank,” where New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft, who recently pleaded not guilty to charges of soliciting prostitution, sought business advice.
The NFL mogul, played by Kyle Mooney, portrayed himself as “the only person ever to take a private jet straight to a $59” sex act.
“I respect a man for getting a great deal,” responded conservative lawyer Alan Dershowitz, played by host John Mulaney.
Jussie Smollett (Chris Redd), the actor arrested for allegedly making up a hate-crime attack, also sought advice on “Shark Tank.” Fox News’ Jeanine Pirro, portrayed by Cecily Strong, was elated by the allegations against Smollett.
“I wrote Fox News fan fiction about this, but I never thought it would come true,” she said.
Later, the “Weekend Update” news segment returned to Cohen who, co-anchor Colin Jost said, “looks like he shaves in his car.”
The segment also roasted Trump’s more than two-hour speech Saturday to the Conservative Political Action Conference. The president kicked off the meandering talk by hugging a U.S. flag.
He was “hugging the American flag like Lenny of ‘Of Mice and Men,'” Jost said.
He described it as a “patriotic #MeToo moment.”
Multi-platinum singer-songwriter Thomas Rhett was the musical guest.