In a recent episode, SNL made fun of the scandal that has engulfed the White House after classified documents were found in President Joe Biden’s home. While the President is the center of the controversy, the show decided to poke fun at the Vice President’s, Kamala Harris, non-involvement.
In the sketch, Mikey Day, who played Merrick Garland, the Attorney General, begins with a speech on how he was working to retrieve classified documents from politicians. He states that they have discovered documents in Mike Pence’s home in Indiana. Pence was the vice president for former President Donald Trump. The role of an FBI agent was played by Kenan Thomson, who made fun of Pence for his involvement in the scandal.
SNL takes a dig at Kamala Harris
Ego Nwodin, who played another FBI agent, took a dig at Harris when questioned about her involvement in the scandal. Nwodin states that Biden wouldn’t even offer the Vice President a pen; thus, it is highly unlikely that she would have any classified documents. However, days added that they had to check at least to rule out her involvement.
Bowen Young played a third FBI agent who searched for classified documents in the home of Former President Barack Obama. However, the agent seemed struck by Obama and did little to search for documents. He goes as far as to tell how Obama had declined a call from singer Beyonce and how he had found Lin-Manuel’s letters asking Obama to see his play.
The third agent stated that they had asked Obama about having any documents. He answered that he wasn’t involved in government matters and was now in the Hollywood game and thus didn’t have any papers.
Many believe that while the skit was funny, it might point to the reality that Biden might not trust Harris. Since she was appointed vice president, many have questioned her competence for the role.
The sketch mentioned the death of Tyre Nichols
The sketch ended more seriously, with Thompson asking Day if they would go to Memphis to ensure justice was served. This comment was about the brutal murder of Tyre Nichols by police.
President Biden isn’t the only President the FBI has found with classified documents, as former president Trump has been facing the same scandal for two years since his term ended. Unlike Biden and Pence, Trump has refused to cooperate with the FBI on their investigation.
Many politicians have faced the scandal of classified documents
While SNL has made light of the situation, many people are surprised by the number of politicians who have classified documents in their homes. Biden and Pence notified the FBI when they found the documents in their possession. However, in the case of Trump, the organization raided his home in Mar-a-Lago to find them. The papers were Top Secret, the highest FBI classification for sensitive information. The FBI has stated that the former President made efforts to obstruct the investigation. Hillary Clinton was also once involved in such a scandal.
The FBI commonly misplaces classified documents
Tom Blanton from the National Security Archive states that it is common to misplace classified documents. While this might seem alarming, these documents can range from travel briefings, which the public already knows, to secret and sensitive information. For this reason, others believe that the FBI should declassify some documents.
Brad Moss, a National Security legal expert, states that the difference comes in how these matters are handled. The protocol is to notify security if documents are found and have them retrieve them just like how Biden and Pence did. However, former President Trump tried to delay and obstruct any inquiries.
