One week after Morgan Wallen‘s much-buzzed-about episode as a musical guest on Saturday Night Live, the show spoofed last week’s viral episodes in not one but two different skits.
The Wallen jokes started early. In this week’s cold open, James Austin Johnson was playing president Donald Trump in a skit where he was giving a speech about tariffs. Johnson — speaking as Trump — said that the tariffs would even extend to an uninhabited island called “McDonald Island.”
“I would love to visit there. Can you imagine that? Big Mac and a hula skirt. Get me to God’s country, right?” he said at one point.
That joke, of course, was a reference to the Instagram Stories slide Wallen posted after he left SNL: A photo of an airport tarmac with the words “Get me to God’s country.” SNL actor Kenan Thompson subsequently admitted that the post bugged him, saying, “You’re trying to say that we are not in God’s country? We’re not all in God’s country? We’re not all under God’s umbrella?”
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The country superstar’s name came up again during SNL‘s “Weekend Update” segment, while cast member Colin Jost was making a point about the U.S.’s plummeting stock market.
“Just in the past two days, investors have lost over $6 trillion. Money is leaving the stock market faster than Morgan Wallen at goodnights,” Jost joked.
What Happened During Morgan Wallen’s SNL Gig?
- Wallen performed two songs as the musical guest on Saturday Night on Saturday (March 29.)
- He returned to the stage for the ensemble shot that always closes the show. However, instead of staying onstage to mingle as the credits rolled — the way cast members, hosts and musically guests typically do — Wallen walked off the front of the stage.
Why Did Morgan Wallen Leave SNL Early?
Some fans believed the source who told TMZ it was an “oopsie” moment, and the singer simply didn’t realize he was supposed to stay onstage.
But it wasn’t Wallen’s first time on SNL — he’s been a musical guest once before, in 2020, and this side-by-side comparison of the credits rolling in those two episodes shows that he stayed onstage the last time he was on the show.
Others thought Wallen’s departure was a “disrespectful” slight against the show, either because he had previously been disinvited in 2020 for not following COVID-19 protocols (two months before he returned to successfully make his debut) or simply because he didn’t care for the cast, the crew or New York City.
The latter theory was bolstered by a snapshot of an airport tarmac he posted to Instagram Stories afterward, captioning it, “Get me to God’s country.”
One audience member claimed that Wallen was “snubbed” by show creator and producer Lorne Michaels during his most recent episode, in a moment that wasn’t caught on camera but happened onstage, in front of the audience.
Another person who attended the taping said that Wallen didn’t leave early at all — he might have walked offstage, but only to come out and greet his fans.
So, Do Morgan Wallen and Saturday Night Live Really Have Beef?
At the very least, there appears to be some friction over Wallen’s post-show Instagram post. SNL cast member Kenan Thompson said that Wallen’s sentiments didn’t sit well with him.
“You trying to say that we are not in God’s country?” he said, presumably referring to the show’s home of New York. “We’re not all in God’s country? We’re not all under God’s umbrella?”
Wallen doesn’t appear remorseful about the post he shared. While he hasn’t officially commented on his SNL appearance, he did announce the addition of three new merch items bearing the phrase “Get Me to God’s Country” to his official store.
But NBC -—which airs SNL — doesn’t seem to be holding hard feelings. A rep for the network told TMZ that they’re not holding any ill will against Wallen, and they hope to have him back on the show in the future.