• SNL's Easter cold open mocked Trump's tariffs, likening markets to the resurrection story.
• James Austin Johnson portrayed Trump, comparing himself to Jesus amid economic chaos.
• The sketch highlighted the instability in the stock market due to Trump's trade policies.

The latest episode of "Saturday Night Live" featured a scathing satirical take on President Donald Trump's tariffs, weaving the biblical story of Jesus cleansing the temple into a critique of Trump's economic decisions. In the skit, Mikey Day played Jesus, declaring, "I will rid this place of all its money," before James Austin Johnson, portraying Trump, interrupted the scene, comparing his tariffs to this biblical event by stating, "I also got rid of money last week, but instead of one temple, I did a whole country," according to HuffPost.

Johnson, as Trump, further proclaimed, "Hi, it’s me, your favorite president, Donald Jesus Trump," humorously dubbing himself a savior for the economy amidst the turmoil. "Many people are even calling me the Messiah for the mess I made out of the economy," he quipped, poking fun at the adverse effects of his tariff policies, which recently triggered significant stock market fluctuations, as detailed by The Hill.

The sketch comically noted that Trump's tariffs initially led to major market swings, stating, "The stock market did a Jesus. It died, then on the third day it was risen, and then on the fourth day it died again," reflecting concerns over potential economic recession due to trade instability, according to India Times.

Johnson's Trump continued with humorous remarks about the absurdity of his tariffs. "They were working so well that I had to stop them," he jested, claiming, "Now, everything is back exactly how it was, minus a few trillion dollars and a historic transfer of wealth from the middle class to my buddies." This light-hearted yet pointed commentary on Trump's economic policies resonated with viewers given recent events, highlights Salon.

The episode also featured references to the stock market’s nightmarish volatility, as Johnson humorously recounted people’s reactions to checking their retirement accounts, echoing sentiments shared widely among Americans facing economic uncertainty. "We look at our 401K and say, ‘Jesus Christ, where did it all go?’" he lamented, according to Forbes.