It’s no secret that Saturday Night Live hit comedy gold this election cycle, due in no small part to the absurd and outlandish utterances of the candidates (save Bernie Sanders) in both the primary cycle and the general election season. After a historic number of debates, audiences waited in anticipation week after week to see NBC’s staple comedy show’s often hilarious twist on them. Below all eight of the debate sketches have been collected in one place for your viewing, though these are by no means the only politically-themed sketches from the show from the 2016 election cycle.
Democratic debate cold open
air date: 10/17/2015
best line: Alec Baldwin as Jim Webb: “Excuse me, President Webb here. Where’s my time? I know I’ve got this in the bag but I need some more time. So come on Andy, hit me with a question right between the eyes…” Jon Rudnitsky as Anderson Cooper: “Okay Senator. Here’s a question. You once said that affirmative action is racist against whites. Explain?” Webb: “[long pause…] Pass!”
MSNBC Forum cold open
air date: 11/7/2015
best line: Cecily Strong as Rachel Maddow: “Welcome to the MSNBC first in the South Democratic Forum. In case you were wondering what a forum is, it’s a debate no one watches” and “Now since this is not a debate it’s just a forum, let’s move on to some stupid little games.”
GOP Debate cold open
air date: 12/19/2015
best line: Jon Rudnitsky as Wolf Blitzer: “For those of you who missed our earlier under-card debate featuring Mike Huckabee and Rick Santorum, well the results are in and everybody lost.”
Republican debate cold open
air date: 1/16/2016
best line: Pete Davidson as Marco Rubio: “Why am I not winning?… I mean, come on! I’m young. I’m smart. I’m the only one up here with a chin. There’s six clowns up here and one human man.”
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Brooklyn Democratic debate cold open
air date: 4/16/2016
best line: Beck Bennett as Wolf Blitzer: “Our next question comes from a father of six. He’s an OBGYN in Brooklyn and his name is Dr. Cliff Huxstable.”
Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton debate cold open
air date: 10/1/2016
best line: Alec Baldwin as Donald Trump: “Lester, why are we talking about this? We should be talking about the important issues, like Rosie O’ Donnell.”
VP debate cold open
air date: 10/8/2016
best line: Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton: “Well, ya know, it’s my reward, Brooke, for every single thing I’ve been through in the last 30 years: Whitewater, Benghazi, Mary J. Blige singing into my face for a full hour last week.”
Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton Town hall debate cold open
air date: 10/15/2016
best line: Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton: “As my best friend Michelle Obama once said, ‘When they go low, you go high.’ God I love that quote. Almost as memorable as when I said ‘Trumped up, trickle down economics.’ Just a couple of equally famous quotes from a couple of equally lovable women.”
Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton third debate cold open
air date: 10/22/2016
best line: Kate McKinnon as Hillary Clinton: “What two better people are there to talk about women’s issues? Me, a woman who has had a child and who has taken birth control, and him a man who is a child and whose face is birth control.”
United States Hypocrisy 