Trump and Pete Hegseth Try to Justify Iran War on ‘SNL’: ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Doing’

Feb 28, 2026 9:04pm PT Trump and Pete Hegseth Try to Justify Iran War on ‘SNL’: ‘I Don’t Know What I’m Doing’ By William Earl Plus Icon William Earl @beautifulbill Latest Variety Announces 2026 Entertainment Marketing Summit Program Featuring Tina Knowles and Warner Bros. Motion Picture Group Co-Chair Pam Abdy 2 days ago ‘Real Housewives’ Star Mary Cosby’s Son Robert Jr. Dies at 23 3 days ago Variety to Host Inaugural True Crime Summit at SXSW 3 days ago See All Clearly the “ Saturday Night Live ” writing team had a lot of work to do on Saturday, as they opened the show with a sketch about President Trump’s early morning attack on Iran. In the Feb. 28 cold open, Trump (played by James Austin Johnson) gives a press conference about the military action. “It’s me, Donald Trump , FIFA Peace Prize winner and Nobel Peace Prize taker,” he began. “We all know Iran has been two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon for like the last 15 years or something. So we had to act now and we’re doing war.” Trump soon brought out Pete Hegseth (played by Colin Jost) to speak on the military action. Popular on Variety “They asked for someone to volunteer to receive his half baked operation and I didn’t walk — I ran,” Jost-as-Hegseth said. “President Trump called me at two in the morning, and you know, I was awake, sober AF.” Hegseth then admitted that “I don’t know what I’m doing.” Watch the cold open below. Jump to Comments More from Variety HBO Moves ‘Industry’ and ‘A Knight of the Seven Kingdoms’ Episodes Up to Friday Releases to Avoid Super Bowl ‘This Show Is Whatever the F— We Want It to Be’: How ‘Industry’ Expands the Sex, Drugs and Capitalist Debauchery in Season 4 ‘Industry’ Star Miriam Petche on Taking the London Finance Drama to Africa and Sweetpea’s Big Moment: ‘I’m Worried for Her!’ ‘Industry’ Renewed for Fifth and Final Season at HBO Max Minghella on Playing the Big Bad of ‘Industry’ Season 4: ‘I Would Almost Black Out Shooting the Show’ ‘Industry’ Star Sagar Radia on...