James Austin Johnson, the comedian behind Saturday Night Live's current Donald Trump impression, has opened up about how he approaches the role and admitted he is genuinely afraid of potential backlash from the president himself.
Johnson, who is 36, has been playing Trump on SNL since fall 2021, taking over from Alec Baldwin. He spoke at a Tribeca Film Festival panel on June 6 in New York City, which held after the premiere of a new documentary called Playing POTUS, which traces the history of presidential impersonations on SNL and other shows.
Johnson said his approach to the impression is rooted in a very specific image. "I'm trying to think of a guy who's been working in retail for like five decades, in a corner, in an uncomfortable chair somewhere, and he's just doing that to whatever new worker is walking past," he said, adding: "I want to play it like it's a man talking alone in a room, and he'd just be saying all that stuff," per USA Today.
A key part of his portrayal is leaning into Trump's humor, something he feels sets him apart from Baldwin's version. "I think I play his charm a little bit more, maybe than Alec did. I think I play the secret weapon that he's deployed, which is that he's, you know, funny, intentionally and unintentionally, kind of a hilarious guy. That's not really something I'm looking for when it's time to vote for somebody, but it's been extremely powerful," he said.
Johnson also said improvisation is central to making the impression feel real. "It wouldn't feel like Trump if there wasn't this queasy feeling in the audience of 'what is he going to say?' and so I have to improvise for the character to kind of come alive. So I'm throwing in stuff," he said, per The Independent.
Another defining trait of his Trump is that the character "never finishes a thought,"When asked whether his portrayal means he has some empathy for Trump, Johnson was blunt. "If you can't tell how I feel about Donald Trump from the way that I do him, you're a moron," he said. He added that people sometimes show up to his live performances thinking he loves Trump and walk out when they realize otherwise.
Unlike Baldwin, who faced public criticism from Trump over his SNL portrayal, Johnson has so far avoided being called out by the president. But he admitted that does not mean he feels safe. When asked directly if he fears Trump, Johnson said: "Am I fearful of the crazy person who wields the military and all that stuff all the time, that seems to target individuals? Yeah" And added: "I hope my name never comes out of his mouth."
