Fox News' Bret Baier Had An Unexpected Reaction To SNL's Parody Of Him

When "Saturday Night Live" is impersonating you, it's likely a surreal experience to see everything from mannerisms to physical details meticulously exaggerated for comedic effect. Throughout Donald Trump's two terms, "SNL" has prided themselves on painfully accurate impressions of Trump's inner circle, including former Fox News hosts Jeanine Pirro and Kimberly Guilfoyle. These performances have been received with the mix of reactions. Some, like Ivanka Trump, reportedly felt insecure and didn't see the humor. Then, at the opposite end of the spectrum, there's Fox News host Bret Baier, who was tickled to be included in the comedy show.

During an October 2024 episode, Baier (Alec Baldwin) interviewed Kamala Harris (Maya Rudolph). The sketch also included a parody of Trump (James Austin Johnson) and Joe Biden (Dana Carvey). Although Baldwin insulted Baier's appearance during the sketch, saying, "Yes, I do look like someone made a businessman in Minecraft," and continually interrupted his guest, the real-life journalist wasn't fazed. "I did laugh out loud a number of different times," Baier informed the Daily Mail. He also said how, "my sons thought it was very, very cool." The Fox News host was so congenial about the parody that he proclaimed Baldwin could sub in for him IRL.

Beyond playing Baier, Baldwin had previously been one of the many actors mimicking Trump on "SNL." While Melania Trump reportedly thought Baldwin's impression was spot on, the president, unlike Baier, couldn't see the charm in the actor's portrayal.

Bret Baier's been a TV journalist since the late 1990s, and his appreciation for comedy goes back even further. "I was a little entertainer and always wanted to make people laugh," Baier informed the Horatio Alger Association. Perhaps if Baier hadn't been so enthralled by news reporting, a sketch comedy gig like "Saturday Night Live" might have been right up his alley. In addition, despite his ego-centric, perennially interrupting "SNL" portrayal, Baier's indicated in interviews that he's more focused on getting the story, rather than spotlighting his ego.

Unfortunately, not everyone at Fox News can let "SNL" sketches roll off their backs so easily. Laura Ingraham was just one of many people that Kate McKinnon transformed into on the show. However, after she parodied Ingraham for years, the Fox News host decided to hit back with her own mockery of McKinnon's portrayal in 2022. Ingraham also stated that McKinnon never impersonated famous Democrats, which NowThis pointed out was incorrect (via Reddit). While Ingraham claimed she wanted to be a guest on the storied sketch show to play Nancy Pelosi, her meta approach fell flat and it was open to interpretation whether she was expressing humor or anger. 

The same 2022 "SNL" sketch that roasted Ingraham also parodied Fox News guest commentator Candace Owens. Ego Nwodim's impersonation of Owens clearly struck a nerve. " ... I am much better looking than this," Owens complained on X with a laughing emoji. "Next time just reach out and I'll play myself. That way the skit will actually be funny and America might even tune in to the show again!"