‘SNL’: Alec Baldwin Cast As New Donald Trump

Alec Baldwin is the new Donald Trump — on Saturday Night Live.

The announcement was made quietly by NBC via a promo on social media.

Here’s why the casting is  perfect. Baldwin, like Trump, is a former NBC primetime star, on 30 Rock, and also a one-time late-night host on MSNBC. Baldwin currently is a reality-TV star, as host of ABC’s Match Game reboot; Trump formerly starred on NBC’s The Apprentice/Celebrity Apprentice. Baldwin has, in the past, expressed interest in a potential political career. Back in ’06, for instance, the New York Times wondered if he was going to run for Governor of New York. A few years later press reported had Baldwin ruminating a run for New York City mayor – talk that ended when he announced he had decided not to run for the office so as to continue starring on his hit NBC primetime series. Sounds familiar.

Trump was played last season on SNL by Darrell Hammond, a onetime cast member who returned to the show in 2014 as its announcer. Prior to Hammond, Trump was played by Taran Killam, whose contract was not picked up, along with Jay Pharoah for the upcoming season.

Lisa de Moraes contributed to this story.