Yahoo News 'SNL' Pokes Fun at Rookie GOP Candidates Herschel Walker, Kari Lake and Dr. Oz in Midterms-Themed Cold Open
Saturday Night Live weighed in on Republicans' momentum in the midterms during its cold open on Saturday, highlighting three inexperienced GOP candidates who have quickly risen in polls: Georgia Senate candidate Herschel Walker, Pennsylvania Senate candidate Dr. Mehmet Oz and Arizona gubernatorial candidate Kari Lake.
In the sketch, framed as a PBS NewsHour segment, Heidi Gardner (as NewsHour anchor Judy Woodruff) asks the candidates about their controversies and their sudden spike in polls.
Walker, portrayed by Kenan Thompson, didn't know where to attribute his success, saying: "The whole world is a mystery, ain't it? For example, a thermos: It keeps the hot things hot — but also the cold things cold. And my question is, how do it decide? So we're going to be looking into that very much."
In real life, Walker has made a number of bizarre comments, including some about air pollution and others about evolution, in which he questioned evolution because there are "still apes."
RELATED: Herschel Walker Scolded for Flashing 'Prop' Police Badge During Georgia Senate Debate
Elsewhere in the skit, SNL noted the recent accusations from women who have claimed Walker paid for their abortions — claims Walker has denied, despite one of the women supplying receipts and a get well soon card signed by the former football star.
In the skit, Thompson's Walker noted that the abortion allegations have not caused him to suffer in the polls — in fact, his popularity has surged in recent weeks.
"People love me, no matter what. Like the great Trump Donald said, 'I could pay for an abortion in the middle of Fifth Avenue and not lose any voters,'" Thompson's Walker said.
Saturday Night Live/YouTube (3)
Cast member Mikey Day portrayed Oz, who in real life has been routinely criticized by his opponent, Democrat John Fetterman, as being a transplant from New Jersey who is out of touch with Pennsylvania voters.
Donning a Phillies hat with a price tag still on it, Day's Oz awkwardly spoke about enjoying a "Philadelphia Cheese and Steak," before pivoting to hawk a diet pill (a nod to the many dubious products the former television personality has touted on his eponymous show).
RELATED: The Rise and Fall of Dr. Oz
Asked about his own recent success in the polls, Day's Oz said: "Let's remember: I was a long shot, Judy, but I always told myself, you can win this election if you're honest, if you're fair, and if your opponent has a debilitating medical emergency. So, we're very lucky."
The remark comes in reference to his opponent's recent stroke, which he suffered prior to the primary and after which the race has tightened considerably.
Lake, played by SNL's Cecily Strong, attributed her success to the "wonderful, terrified elderly people here in Arizona, the Florida of the West."
Making light of the soft-focus lighting the real Lake uses in her remote interviews, Strong joked that she was "a fighter."
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"I've sent back more than 2,000 salads," Strong, as Lake, said in the skit. "And I'm not afraid to do the same thing with democracy."
