Entertainment · TV & Streaming · 51 mins ago
Texas senator-elect James Talarico makes surprise appearance on ‘SNL’
Texas senator-elect James Talarico made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live in a sketch about the midterm results.
The Texas Democrat defeated Republican state Attorney General Ken Paxton, according to the articles.
His win helped Democrats flip a Senate seat in Republican-leaning Texas, where the party also celebrated Gina Hinojosa’s victory over Republican Governor Greg Abbott.
In the sketch, actor James Austin Johnson played President Donald Trump, who joked about the Democrats’ wins and used the nickname “Talafreako” for Talarico.
Talarico joked about texting people for $5 donations, then said he hoped to work with Trump to improve life for everyday Americans.
He also joked that viewers wanted something new from the show’s political sketches, before joining Trump in saying, “Live from New York.”
The appearance brought attention to a major Texas political shift, but the articles do not say what Talarico plans to do next.
James Talarico, newly elected to the U.S. Senate from Texas, made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live.
He joined the show’s Trump-themed cold open after Democrats’ midterm victories.
Talarico joked about his fundraising texts and asked how many more Trump-focused cold opens the show would make.
James Austin Johnson, playing Donald Trump, replied, “Infinity!”
Talarico defeated Republican Ken Paxton, making him the first Texas Democrat elected to the Senate since 1988.
- Who
- James Talarico, newly elected U.S. senator from Texas, appeared alongside James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump.
- What
- Talarico made a surprise appearance in Saturday Night Live’s Trump-themed cold open.
- When
- November 7, 2026, in the episode published on November 8.
- Where
- Saturday Night Live’s Studio 8H in New York.
- Why
- The sources say he appeared in the sketch after his midterm victory; they do not state a specific reason for the appearance.
This story does not have two clearly opposing sides.
Midterm elections took place, according to Consequence’s description of the appearance as following Tuesday’s elections.
Talarico appeared in Saturday Night Live’s Trump-themed cold open.
The reports about Talarico’s appearance were published.
- Winner
- James Talarico
- Senate opponent
- Ken Paxton
- Texas Senate seat
- First won by a Texas Democrat since 1988
- Election margin
- Talarico won by 12 points, according to The Hollywood Reporter
- Fundraising joke
- Talarico referred to asking people for $5
- Show
- Saturday Night Live
10 sources
SNL cold open: James Talarico crashes Trump’s post-election rant
On ‘S.N.L.,’ James Talarico Gets to Interrupt Trump
James Talarico makes a cameo on 'SNL'
James Talarico, who led Democratic upset in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, kicks off ‘SNL’
James Talarico Crashes ‘SNL’ Cold Open, Apologizes for Texting Us So Much
‘SNL’ Cold Open: James Talarico Crashes Trump’s Midterm Postmortem
James Talarico Crashes SNL’s Cold Open: “It’s Clear People Want Something New”
James Talarico Crashes ‘SNL’ Cold Open: ‘I’m the Guy Who’s Been Texting You Every Day Asking for $5’
James Talarico Stuns ‘SNL’ With Post-Midterm Election Win Cameo & “Trump Freezers” Swipe
‘SNL’: James Talarico Crashes Cold Open as Trump Laments Blue Tsunami
What people are saying
That’s ‘Senator Talafreako’
I’m the guy who’s been texting you every day asking for $5
It’s clear people want something new. They want something different. I’m talking, of course, about SNL‘s cold opens.
Infinity.
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Trump breaks down the midterm election results