A Saturday Night Live skit impersonating Reba McEntire left fans divided after it aired on Saturday night (Nov. 2): Some thought the portrayal was “disturbingly accurate,” while others found it downright offensive.

The premise was simple. McEntire — as portrayed by cast member Heidi Gardner — stops by the “Weekend Update” segment of the sketch comedy show to deliver her official endorsement in the upcoming U.S. presidential election.

But as the segment proceeds, it quickly becomes clear that the McEntire character isn’t going to pick a side.

Rather, she provides a mix of folksy aphorisms and references to her current role as a coach on The Voice, delivered in a thick Oklahoma accent and with Gardner’s comedically exaggerated impersonation of McEntire’s mannerisms.

The skit pokes fun at country stars’ historic predisposition to staying quiet about political endorsements, as well as the fact that McEntire is currently “straddling the fence” at NBC: She’s on two shows on the network, The Voice and her sitcom Happy’s Place.

So Gardner-as-Reba isn’t willing to say which candidate she’s voting for this November. In fact, she’s got a winning smile and a vote of confidence for both sides of the political aisle — and just about everyone else, too.

“When I’m on The Voice, I don’t know if the person singing is a Republican or a Democrat. All I care is they’re Team Reba,” she says at one point.

“… Why can’t they both be president?!” she wonders.

On Twitter, some fans thought Gardner’s impression of McEntire was “disturbingly accurate,” but not everyone was pleased with the show’s decision to poke fun at one of country music’s undisputed queens.

“If you’re going to do a skit, at least make it funny. This was just disrespectful,” one user responded.

“It’s a bad impersonation of Reba (starting w that wig) and it wasn’t remotely funny,” another opined. “Not sure if it was mean-spirited or just absolutely horribly written.”

“That’s the night the lights went out in Georgia,” someone quipped.

When Else Has Reba McEntire Been the Subject of an SNL Skit?

The sketch comedy show has incorporated McEntire — and her iconic red hair — into a skit in the past, too. In a memorable and NSFW musical skit from 2009, cast member Kenan Thompson donned a red wig and sequins to play the singer, opposite Andy Samberg.

Have Any Country Stars Endorsed Presidential Nominees in Real Life?

Though it’s true that country music’s older set — McEntire included — have mostly stayed out of politics, more and more of the younger stars have become vocal about who they’re voting for in recent years.

• Jason Aldean is perhaps the most politically outspoken star in music right now. He’s a close personal friend of Republican presidential candidate and former U.S. president Donald Trump.
• Aldean, as well as other stars like Chris Janson, Lee Greenwood and Kid Rock, performed at the Republican National Convention in 2024.
• On the other side of the aisle, Maren Morris, Mickey Guyton and Jason Isbell all performed at the Democratic National Convention this year.
• In 2021, Tim McGraw and Tyler Hubbard performed at president Joe Biden’s inauguration ceremony.