“Saturday Night Live” criticized Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and his reputation as a moody drunk during this weekend’s Pentagon-themed cold opening.

“Weekend Update” straight man Colin Jost played up Hegseth’s prickly side in a parody news conference, where he stormed into the room, punched an employee’s chest and berated the group of reporters before reluctantly opening the floor for questions.

“So you have questions for me? Good! Pretend I’m a random fishing boat and shoot,” he joked, in a note to the controversy surrounding attacks in US open waters on ships the Trump administration claims are smuggling drugs.

Jost’s Hegseth was outraged when asked about reports that he had ordered attacks on survivors of an operation in September.

“First of all, that kind of cruel and ruthless act has no place in ‘Operation Kill All,’” he said. “Secondly, I wasn’t even in the room when it happened. Well, I was so emotional after the first attack that I had to make an emergency call to my sponsor (sorry, a guy I met at an anonymous meeting), so I don’t drink something that I like and want, but I can’t have it, but I want it, I need it, I want it right now. Ba, ba ba-ba-da! It’s alcohol.”

Colin Jost performed a parody version of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the December 6 cold open of
Colin Jost performed a parody version of Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth during the December 6 cold open of “Saturday Night Live.”

NBC via Getty Images

When asked to confirm the death toll from the attacks on suspected drug ships, which reportedly exceeded 80 people, Jost’s Hegseth smugly responded: “Let’s say if I had one drink for every Venezuelan we’ve killed, I’d really like that many drinks.”

See the full sketch here:

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