A new ‘Trump.’ SNL’s Johnson attracts attention for mimicry

By DAVID BAUDER
AP Media Writer

NEW YORK (AP) — Only five shows into his rookie season at “Saturday Night Live,” comic James Austin Johnson has attracted attention for his mimicry. Most recently it was Johnson’s impersonation of Donald Trump on last weekend’s show, a performance hailed by many critics for nailing the cadences and speaking patterns of the former president. Johnson has also impersonated President Joe Biden twice this fall, including on the opening sketch of the show’s season. As Trump in last weekend’s “cold open,” he gave a stream-of-consciousness performance as a colleague portraying newly elected Virginia governor Glenn Youngkin looked on in discomfort. It’s been a year since Alec Baldwin’s final “SNL” appearance as Trump.