Over the last year, Saturday Night Live viewers will have grown accustomed to the show’s cold opens being dominated by skits mocking the president of the United States, and this week’s show continued that theme — albeit with one minor difference.
Rather than ride on Alec Baldwin‘s bluster-filled Donald Trump impersonations, this week’s SNL featured Will Ferrell reprising his role as former president George W. Bush.
Much of the skit revolved around President Bush reminding Americans that his presidency was disastrous, even if it seems to compare favourably to the Trump presidency in hindsight.
READ MORE: George W. Bush, Bill Clinton avoid mentioning Trump during discussion on presidency
The skit begins with Bush seated in what appears to be the Oval Office, although he clarifies that it’s actually a replica that he had constructed in the basement of his Texas home.
After showing off an oil painting of a dog in a hot air balloon — Bush has become an avid painter post-presidency in real life — Ferrell’s version of the former president touts his approval rating, which he boasts is at an all-time high.
“At this point, I might even end up on Mount Rushmore right next to Washington, Lincoln and I wanna say… Kensington?” Bush says. “I dunno, but the point is I’m suddenly popular AF and a lot of people are saying, ‘man I wish George W. Bush was still our president right about now!’
“So I just wanted to address my fellow Americans tonight, and remind you guys that I was really bad. Like, historically not good.”
Bush then reminds Americans that he started the wars in Afghanistan and Iraq, before using a dark riddle to highlight his role in provoking the emergence of new Islamist terrorist groups.
“What has two thumbs and created ISIS? This guy,” he exclaims, pointing his thumbs at himself.
WATCH: George W Bush slams Trump’s policies without mentioning the president by name
The 43rd president of the United States then shifts the topic to the economy, pointing out that “the stock market’s at 26,000 right now, I had you guys down at a cool 8K.
“Now I’m no economer, but even I know that was no bueno.”
Ferrell’s Bush then offers some perspective to Americans who disapprove of Vice-President Mike Pence.
“Some say Mike Pence is heartless, but remember Dick Cheney was literally heartless. At this point, it’s just LEGOs in there,” he says of Cheney, who has a history of heart problems.
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Bush then takes the time to offer some words of consolation to Trump, who he points out has not had an Iraqi reporter throw his shoes at him.
“I’m not a Trump synthesizer or anything but we do have a lot in common,” Bush says. “We’re both the exact same age even though I was president like 40 years ago, we both won the election despite losing the popular vote — though back in my day, we didn’t let Russians rig our elections. We used the Supreme Court like Americans!”
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Bush then welcomes his former secretary of state Condoleezza Rice into his “office,” and the pair perform a tweaked version of the “All in the Family” theme song to see out the cold open.
WATCH BELOW: Will Ferrell’s last impersonation of President Bush from 2015
Saturday Night Live airs on Global TV.