Donald Trump Has Exact Same Posture as Bullwinkle, Michael Che States on Saturday Night Live

Donald Trump's insistence that the US government rebrand artificial intelligence as 'Super Intelligence' was turned into a visual gag on Saturday Night Live, as Michael Che joked that the former president now has 'the exact same posture as Bullwinkle' during the 3 October edition of Weekend Update.

The joke followed footage of Trump speaking to reporters about artificial intelligence on 28 September, when his torso appeared turned away from the direction of his feet, with one knee angled towards the other.

Che used the image to mock Trump while also referencing his recent decision to promote the term 'Super Intelligence' in official federal government communications.

The White House issued Executive Order 14434 on 29 September directing executive departments and agencies to use 'Super Intelligence' and 'SI' in place of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI' in specified official communications.

Michael Che Turns Trump's Posture Into SNL Punchline

During Weekend Update, co-host Colin Jost first joked about the White House removing CNN from the press pool covering Trump's trip to Texas.

An edited image of Air Force One then appeared to show people falling from the aircraft before Che shifted the segment towards Trump's posture.

'President Trump, who now has the exact same posture as Bullwinkle,' Che said, referring to the cartoon moose from The Rocky and Bullwinkle Show. He then linked the joke to Trump's claim that artificial intelligence executives had agreed to a 'morally binding' deal.

The programme displayed an image of Trump beside Bullwinkle, making the physical resemblance the centrepiece of the gag. Reports from the episode confirmed that the comparison was part of the Weekend Update segment.

Che then turned to Trump's reported plans for the White House ballroom, joking that the project would include armed drones, a moat, an elevator, a laser gun and a giant water slide.

The armed-drone reference was based on an actual proposal. Trump has said the planned ballroom would include a rooftop drone port, with some reports describing his vision as including armed or missile-equipped drones intended to protect the White House complex.

Trump's 'Super Intelligence' Rebrand Fuels the Joke

Trump discussed the terminology change during a meeting with technology executives on 29 September, saying the government had 'officially' changed the name from AI to SI. Later that day, he signed Executive Order 14434.

The order states that executive departments and agencies should use 'Super Intelligence' and 'SI' instead of 'Artificial Intelligence' and 'AI' in official correspondence, public communications, websites, reports, policy documents and other non-statutory materials.

The measure therefore changes terminology used by the executive branch; it does not alter the underlying technology or establish that the broader technology industry has adopted 'Super Intelligence' as a replacement for artificial intelligence.

That distinction provided another target for Che's satire, particularly because Trump's comments came only days before the SNL broadcast.

Online Reaction Fuels Trump Health Speculation

The posture had already attracted attention online after Trump's 28 September appearance, with social media users circulating images and questioning the way he was standing.

Those reactions should not be treated as medical evidence. A photograph or short video of a person standing in an unusual position cannot establish a diagnosis or explain why the posture occurred.

SNL likewise did not attempt to provide a medical explanation. Instead, Che turned an image that had circulated online into a visual joke by pairing Trump with Bullwinkle.

The segment also drew on the familiarity of the cartoon character and the recognisable image of Trump. That combination gave the joke an immediate visual quality that could easily travel beyond the broadcast in short clips and screenshots.

The episode aired on 3 October, with Dakota Johnson hosting and Turnstile serving as the musical guest. NBC had announced the episode as the second instalment of the show's 52nd season.

Che's Bullwinkle comparison did not make any claim about why Trump appeared to be standing that way. It presented an unusual image from a presidential appearance as a piece of political comedy, giving SNL another viral moment in the process.