Giant panda poses alongside Biden in SNL cold open

“Saturday Night Live” featured the talking giant panda participating in a press conference alongside President Biden as he made remarks after meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in his cold open.

“The meeting was a total win. Sure, we made agreements on communications, fentanyl, and climate change, but most importantly, we got what America really needs right now. More pandas!” Impersonator Biden told a group of fake reporters.

Biden, played by Mickey Day, opened the scene by addressing a group of journalists about the meeting with Xi. The scene mocked the pandas that left the National Zoo earlier this month, and are Biden’s age. Biden described Xi as a dictator after meeting with him.

“You broke off relations with China last year in part because you called President Xi a dictator,” said one reporter, played by Heidi Gardner, to which the fake Biden replied: “That’s true.”

But your summit last week witnessed notable steps in repairing that relationship. Would you like to completely undo your accomplishment by calling him a dictator again? she asked at the mock press conference.

“I will,” he replied, referring to comments Biden made last week in which he called Xi a dictator again.

Instead of asking the fake president a question, one reporter used her question to tell Biden: “You’re old.” When Biden seems to have had enough of these questions, he introduces a “Very Important Chinese Personality,” who turns out to be Bowen Yang dressed as a panda.

“Thank you, but there’s no need to say giant. I think I’m really thinner and thicker. In fact, I’m honored to be here. But am I the only one who was surprised that the presidents of the two largest economies in the world met and everyone was wondering: What’s the story?” Yang said as he played the panda. Panda?

The panda impersonators poked fun at the panda affair, skipping more serious topics in favor of asking the panda how much he liked America, whether it was a good time to return to China, and how the panda felt about being called “envoys of friendship.”

“Honestly, I think the timing is right. I just have to leave the country. Now. You know, if Trump is elected in 2024, it will be a disaster. He said he would round up migrants and put them in camps,” Panda said when asked about leaving the United States. “Democracy will end, and there may be a civil war.”

When pressed further, the panda hesitated to say whether he would vote for Biden. The cool presentation concluded with Day playing Biden, saying that he and the panda are alike.

“We’re parents, we’re cool. People love to share videos of us falling over,” Day said.