The aptly-titled “Sean Spicer Press Conference,” which aired on February 5, 2017, is already the most popular video ever on SNL‘s YouTube page (25.5 million views), besting the likes of “Donald Trump vs. Hillary Clinton Debate Cold Open” (23.3 million) and “Star Wars Undercover Boss: Starkiller Base” (21.7 million). The nice thing about SNL sketches is that they have extremely literal names, except for “Mafia Meeting,” which, for some crazy reason, isn’t called “Space Pants.” Anyway, Melissa McCarthy’s fiery impression of Spicey immediately went viral, and she returned a week later with a motorized podium with which to run over the media (and Donald Trump’s feelings).
McCarthy is hosting the second-to-last episode of the season, but she might pop up as Spicer before then. She’s even doing her homework. “I’m just watching and observing,” McCarthy told USA Today. “I (hope) for everyone to have clarity and better things to say. And in the meantime, I just squirrel away notes.” (She’s right: Spicer does sort of look like an angry squirrel.)
The idea for the Spicer sketch came from SNL’s co-head writer Kent Sublette, who worked with McCarthy and her husband Ben Falcone when they were members of the Groundlings. “He called me when he knew I was in New York, so he gets all the credit for that,” she said. “At first I thought, ‘What are you talking about’ And he’s like, ‘I just think we have to have an outlet for how so many people are feeling.’” McCarthy later added, “I’m glad that SNL still is there to lovingly poke the bear.” The love isn’t mutual.
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) November 20, 2016