Dana Carvey made a surprise appearance on Saturday Night Live in character as the Church Lady, with both Taran Killam’s Ted Cruz and Darrell Hammond’s Donald Trump as guests. Carvey didn’t exactly break new ground with the character, which was sort of the point, but the central joke, that not even the Church Lady can stand Ted Cruz’s sanctimonious bullshit, is a good one. And watching Hammond’s Trump deflate Cruz, even after he return as a demon, is always a pleasure. (“Are you sure you aren’t Lord of the Weak Chins?”)
It actually wasn’t the first time the Church Lady had Trump on her show. In February 1990, when Trump’s affair with Marla Maples was making tabloid headlines, the Church Lady and her cousin Enid (Fred Savage, hosting that night) had Maples and Trump on to excoriate them for adultery. (Musical guest: Technotronic, if you’re in the mood for more ’90s deep cuts.) Maples is played by the late, great Jan Hooks, who was something of a specialist in Church Lady guest spots, playing both Tammy Faye Baker and Jessica Hahn in separate episodes. And Trump is the legendary Phil Hartman.
It doesn’t really seem fair to compare anyone’s Donald Trump to Phil Hartman’s, but it’s reassuring to know that no matter how much time passes, the Church Lady remains the same.
