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| URL | https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/watch-snl-february-28-trump-iran-war-cold-open-hegseth | ||||||||||||||||||
| Last Crawled | 2026-04-22 04:26:35 (16 hours ago) | ||||||||||||||||||
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| Meta Title | Watch SNL's February 28 "Trump Iran War Address" Cold Open | ||||||||||||||||||
| Meta Description | Watch Saturday Night Live's cold open from February 28, which finds President Trump and Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth defending America's new war with Iran. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Meta Canonical | null | ||||||||||||||||||
| Boilerpipe Text | Very early on Saturday morning,
February 28
, the United States and Israel
launched
 what President
Donald Trump called
"major combat operations" in Iran, issuing military strikes. The move surprised many Americans — including the writers atÂ
Saturday Night Live
, as Trump (
James Austin Johnson
) explained during the cold open to
Connor Storrie
's
episode
.Â
"People are asking, 'Why attack Iran now? Well, we had to strike in the early hours of Saturday, which has two advantages militarily," Johnson's Trump explained. "One, it's after the stock market closes for the weekend. And, two, it's to cause immeasurable fear, rage, and chaos in the SNL writers' room."
"Those guys were going crazy," he continued. "They probably had a big
State of the Union
address thing they were gonna do. Not anymore!
Jeremy [Culhane]
was in it. Poor Jeremy. He's got a light show. Put the whole thing in the trash and start fresh! We love that for them." It's almost like theÂ
SNLÂ
writers were trying to tell us something.
Colin Jost
later returned as former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, whose title is Secretary of War after the Trump administration
changed the Department of Defense's name
. His goal: To defend what he himself calls a "half-baked operation."
RELATED:Â
Watch Connor Storrie's SNL Sketches and Monologue from February 28
RELATED:Â
Hudson Wiliams Played Connor Storrie's Best Bud in SNL's Adorable "Ice Skating" Sketch
Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth (kind of) explain the U.S. attack on Iran
"As we all know, Iran has been two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon for like,
the last 15 years or something
, so we had to act now. And we're doing war,"
SNL
's Trump explained in his address.
"War! What is it good for? / Distracting from
the Epstein files
,"Â
he added, breaking into song.Â
RELATED:
Everyone Who's Played Donald Trump on SNL
"To all my MAGA voters who are upset and saying, 'This is not what I voted for,' well, you did. Don't you know who I am? I'm me," he continued. "Even
I
don't know what I'm gonna do next."
But when it came to defending the choice to enter into war with Iran alongside Israel, Trump let Hegseth do the heavy lifting.Â
"They asked for someone to volunteer to oversee this half-baked operation, and I didn't walk. Iran," Jost's Hegseth said.Â
"But don't let my confident demeanor fool you. I am scared, and I don't know what I'm doing," Hegseth admitted. "When he said we were gonna
blow up the leader of Iran
, I thought he was kidding. And now, all day long, I've been hearing people say, 'Why did we do this? What's the reason for this war?'"
Ultimately, Jost's Hegseth thinks "all of you should be thanking us. We took out a horrendous, horrible leader who was oppressing his own people."
"But don't get any ideas!" Trump interjected. | ||||||||||||||||||
| Markdown | [Skip to main content](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/watch-snl-february-28-trump-iran-war-cold-open-hegseth#main-content)
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[NBC Insider](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider) [Saturday Night Live](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/show/saturday-night-live)
# SNL's Iran War Address Cold Open Finds President Trump & Pete Hegseth on the Defensive
Colin Jost's Pete Hegseth defended the Trump administration's "half-baked operation."
By [Samantha Vincenty](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/authors/samantha-vincenty)
Mar 1, 2026, 10:13 AM ET

Trump Iran War Address Cold Open
[ Now Playing 4:43Highlight Trump Iran War Address Cold Open](https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/videos/trump-iran-war-address-cold-open)
[ 3:08Highlight Movie Pitch with Stefon](https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/videos/movie-pitch-with-stefon-1)
[ 5:32Web Exclusive The Rundown: Bowen Yang Picks a Weekend Update Feature](https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live/videos/the-rundown-bowen-yang-picks-a-weekend-update-feature)
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Very early on Saturday morning, [February 28](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/is-saturday-night-live-new-tonight-snl-february-28-2026-host), the United States and Israel [launched](https://www.ms.now/news/apparent-strike-in-irans-capital-happened-near-offices-of-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei) what President [Donald Trump called](https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c1d60wvz9zko) "major combat operations" in Iran, issuing military strikes. The move surprised many Americans — including the writers at [*Saturday Night Live*](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/saturday-night-live?cid=2411evginsdredinbcrownedi26094&utm_campaign=2411evginsdredi&utm_source=insdredi_nbcupt_st-sv&utm_medium=own_edi_awa_artl&utm_term=insidereditorialreaders&utm_content=saturdaynightlive), as Trump ([James Austin Johnson](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/people/james-austin-johnson)) explained during the cold open to [Connor Storrie](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/connor-storrie-movie-and-tv-roles-the-joker-heated-rivalry)'s [episode](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/connor-storrie-movie-and-tv-roles-the-joker-heated-rivalry).
### How to Watch
Watch [*Saturday Night Live*](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/saturday-night-live?cid=2411evginsdredinbcrownedi26094&utm_campaign=2411evginsdredi&utm_source=insdredi_nbcupt_st-sv&utm_medium=own_edi_awa_artl&utm_term=insidereditorialreaders&utm_content=saturdaynightlive) Saturdays at 11:30/10:30c on [NBC](https://www.nbc.com/saturday-night-live) and next day on Peacock.
"People are asking, 'Why attack Iran now? Well, we had to strike in the early hours of Saturday, which has two advantages militarily," Johnson's Trump explained. "One, it's after the stock market closes for the weekend. And, two, it's to cause immeasurable fear, rage, and chaos in the SNL writers' room."
"Those guys were going crazy," he continued. "They probably had a big [State of the Union](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/how-to-watch-state-of-the-union-address-tonight-february-24-president-trump-speech) address thing they were gonna do. Not anymore! [Jeremy \[Culhane\]](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/snl-new-cast-members-season-51-photos) was in it. Poor Jeremy. He's got a light show. Put the whole thing in the trash and start fresh! We love that for them." It's almost like the *SNL* writers were trying to tell us something.
[Colin Jost](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/watch-colin-jost-try-bobsledding-video-mike-tirico-interview) later returned as former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, whose title is Secretary of War after the Trump administration [changed the Department of Defense's name](https://www.war.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/article/4040890/hon-pete-hegseth/). His goal: To defend what he himself calls a "half-baked operation."
**RELATED: [Watch Connor Storrie's SNL Sketches and Monologue from February 28](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/watch-connor-storrie-snl-sketches-monologue-from-february-28)**
**RELATED: [Hudson Wiliams Played Connor Storrie's Best Bud in SNL's Adorable "Ice Skating" Sketch](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/hudson-williams-connor-storrie-snl-sketch-ice-skating-watch)**
## Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth (kind of) explain the U.S. attack on Iran

James Austin Johnson as Donald Trump and Colin Jost as Pete Hegseth during the Saturday Night Live “Trump War Address” Cold Open on Saturday, February 28, 2026.
Photo: Will Heath/NBC
"As we all know, Iran has been two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon for like, [the last 15 years or something](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG4pBF8pVi4), so we had to act now. And we're doing war," *SNL*'s Trump explained in his address. *"War! What is it good for? / Distracting from [the Epstein files](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/snl-epstein-white-house-briefing-cold-open-donald-trump-watch),"* he added, breaking into song.
**RELATED: [Everyone Who's Played Donald Trump on SNL](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/donald-trump-snl-actors)**
"To all my MAGA voters who are upset and saying, 'This is not what I voted for,' well, you did. Don't you know who I am? I'm me," he continued. "Even *I* don't know what I'm gonna do next."
But when it came to defending the choice to enter into war with Iran alongside Israel, Trump let Hegseth do the heavy lifting.
"They asked for someone to volunteer to oversee this half-baked operation, and I didn't walk. Iran," Jost's Hegseth said.
"But don't let my confident demeanor fool you. I am scared, and I don't know what I'm doing," Hegseth admitted. "When he said we were gonna [blow up the leader of Iran](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/iran-attack-strikes-us-israel-trump-khamenei-dead-live-updates-rcna261172), I thought he was kidding. And now, all day long, I've been hearing people say, 'Why did we do this? What's the reason for this war?'"
Ultimately, Jost's Hegseth thinks "all of you should be thanking us. We took out a horrendous, horrible leader who was oppressing his own people."
"But don't get any ideas!" Trump interjected.
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| Readable Markdown | Very early on Saturday morning, [February 28](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/is-saturday-night-live-new-tonight-snl-february-28-2026-host), the United States and Israel [launched](https://www.ms.now/news/apparent-strike-in-irans-capital-happened-near-offices-of-supreme-leader-ayatollah-ali-khamenei) what President [Donald Trump called](https://www.bbc.com/news/videos/c1d60wvz9zko) "major combat operations" in Iran, issuing military strikes. The move surprised many Americans — including the writers at [*Saturday Night Live*](https://www.peacocktv.com/stream-tv/saturday-night-live?cid=2411evginsdredinbcrownedi26094&utm_campaign=2411evginsdredi&utm_source=insdredi_nbcupt_st-sv&utm_medium=own_edi_awa_artl&utm_term=insidereditorialreaders&utm_content=saturdaynightlive), as Trump ([James Austin Johnson](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/people/james-austin-johnson)) explained during the cold open to [Connor Storrie](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/connor-storrie-movie-and-tv-roles-the-joker-heated-rivalry)'s [episode](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/connor-storrie-movie-and-tv-roles-the-joker-heated-rivalry).
"People are asking, 'Why attack Iran now? Well, we had to strike in the early hours of Saturday, which has two advantages militarily," Johnson's Trump explained. "One, it's after the stock market closes for the weekend. And, two, it's to cause immeasurable fear, rage, and chaos in the SNL writers' room."
"Those guys were going crazy," he continued. "They probably had a big [State of the Union](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/how-to-watch-state-of-the-union-address-tonight-february-24-president-trump-speech) address thing they were gonna do. Not anymore! [Jeremy \[Culhane\]](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/snl-new-cast-members-season-51-photos) was in it. Poor Jeremy. He's got a light show. Put the whole thing in the trash and start fresh! We love that for them." It's almost like the *SNL* writers were trying to tell us something.
[Colin Jost](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/watch-colin-jost-try-bobsledding-video-mike-tirico-interview) later returned as former Fox News anchor Pete Hegseth, whose title is Secretary of War after the Trump administration [changed the Department of Defense's name](https://www.war.gov/About/Biographies/Biography/article/4040890/hon-pete-hegseth/). His goal: To defend what he himself calls a "half-baked operation."
**RELATED: [Watch Connor Storrie's SNL Sketches and Monologue from February 28](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/watch-connor-storrie-snl-sketches-monologue-from-february-28)**
**RELATED: [Hudson Wiliams Played Connor Storrie's Best Bud in SNL's Adorable "Ice Skating" Sketch](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/hudson-williams-connor-storrie-snl-sketch-ice-skating-watch)**
## Donald Trump and Pete Hegseth (kind of) explain the U.S. attack on Iran
"As we all know, Iran has been two weeks away from developing a nuclear weapon for like, [the last 15 years or something](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rG4pBF8pVi4), so we had to act now. And we're doing war," *SNL*'s Trump explained in his address. *"War! What is it good for? / Distracting from [the Epstein files](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/snl-epstein-white-house-briefing-cold-open-donald-trump-watch),"* he added, breaking into song.
**RELATED: [Everyone Who's Played Donald Trump on SNL](https://www.nbc.com/nbc-insider/donald-trump-snl-actors)**
"To all my MAGA voters who are upset and saying, 'This is not what I voted for,' well, you did. Don't you know who I am? I'm me," he continued. "Even *I* don't know what I'm gonna do next."
But when it came to defending the choice to enter into war with Iran alongside Israel, Trump let Hegseth do the heavy lifting.
"They asked for someone to volunteer to oversee this half-baked operation, and I didn't walk. Iran," Jost's Hegseth said.
"But don't let my confident demeanor fool you. I am scared, and I don't know what I'm doing," Hegseth admitted. "When he said we were gonna [blow up the leader of Iran](https://www.nbcnews.com/world/iran/live-blog/iran-attack-strikes-us-israel-trump-khamenei-dead-live-updates-rcna261172), I thought he was kidding. And now, all day long, I've been hearing people say, 'Why did we do this? What's the reason for this war?'"
Ultimately, Jost's Hegseth thinks "all of you should be thanking us. We took out a horrendous, horrible leader who was oppressing his own people."
"But don't get any ideas!" Trump interjected. | ||||||||||||||||||
| ML Classification | |||||||||||||||||||
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