“Deserves an Emmy for this”: Netizens react as Colin Jost’s impression of Pete Hegseth on SNL trends online

Saturday Night Live returned for its 51st season with a premiere that quickly drew widespread attention online, largely due to cast member Colin Jost’s portrayal of Pete Hegseth in the show’s cold open sketch. Jost's impersonation of the ex-Fox News host playing the "Secretary of War" stood out as one of the episode's highlights, with viewers hitting up social media to give support to the act.

Jost’s version opened with the character addressing the audience in a loud, authoritative tone, criticizing what he claimed were modern issues within the armed forces. Jost's version started with the character talking to the crowd in a booming, bossy voice, slamming what he said were today's problems in the armed forces.

LMAOOO, Colin Jost yelling at 800 generals as Pete Hegseth 🤣🤣🤣 pic.twitter.com/vSIHDAeOjX

— BrooklynDad_Defiant!☮️ (@mmpadellan) October 5, 2025

"Colin Jost deserves an Emmy for this SNL performance," an X user commented.

Fans react to Colin Jost’s viral SNL Impression

Fans reacted with enthusiasm and humor to Colin Jost’s portrayal of Pete Hegseth on Saturday Night Live, with many praising his comedic timing and fresh presence in a character role.

"Colin Jost looks like he can do pull-ups. Hegseth not so much," an X user commented.

"They should probably let him be in more skits, the dude was actually pretty funny!" another reacted.

Many appreciated seeing him take on a character role beyond his usual Weekend Update duties, noting that his delivery added new energy to the show’s political satire.

"Hegseth's "tough guy" routine is just a fragile ego meltdown disguised as defense policy, proving the real threat to our military is a Fox News hack with zero self-awareness," one wrote.

'I so want to see this Cold Open in it’s entirety. Who will be the “Fat tRump” who comes out on stage after Pete introduces him and does he say anything other then “Live from New York,”' a person wrote.

"Colin finally has a character? Well, about time he multi-tasked," another user wrote.

"bro looks like he’s about to invade a cheesecake factory not lead the pentagon," one said.

Colin Jost Pete Hegseth SNL sketch highlights

The parody speech touched on topics like gender identity, body image, and military rules, with Jost's over-the-top delivery nailing the style and talk of political figures known for their heated comments.

Throughout the sketch, Jost's version of Hegseth showed annoyance about the military's condition, tying it to what he called "failed liberal policies."

The humorous portrayal featured a series of over-the-top comments on fitness requirements and how soldiers look in the armed forces. The performance also included references to ICE recruitment, changes to Homeland Security policies under Kristi Noem, and the deployment of the National Guard to Portland, blending real-world political developments with satire.

The sketch escalated when Jost’s character declared a new directive for the military, drawing parallels to fraternity-like rules and emphasizing appearance-based standards. Just as he appeared to reach a dramatic conclusion about the “greatest threat to freedom,” the moment was interrupted by James Austin Johnson’s Donald Trump, who entered with a punchline declaring “Late-night TV” as that threat—bringing the sketch to a comedic close.