Hegseth Sketch Welcomes Sailors Home From Operation Hell Cruise

In a recent ‘Saturday Night Live’ cold open, comedian Colin Jost portrayed Pete Hegseth, the U.S. defense secretary, welcoming sailors from the USS Abraham Lincoln after their deployment.

The sketch opened with Hegseth addressing the returning crew, joking about their time at sea and the challenges they faced, including plumbing issues and mental health struggles.

Heg, portrayed by Jost, made light of the sailors’ experiences, claiming only eight attempted suicide during the deployment and noting that no casualties or flight mishaps occurred.

The sketch also included a joke about the Department of War’s new eagle logo, which drew comparisons to Nazi imagery, and a reference to a planned televised execution under the Department of War.

Additionally, the cold open featured a segment with James Austin Johnson as RFK Jr., who humorously addressed health issues and meat recalls, claiming the recalled products were tested on the sailors.

The sketch concluded with Hegseth singing a musical tribute to the sailors, before wrapping up with a humorous nod to his personal rule of never going down on anyone.