James Talarico, who led Democratic upset in Texas’ U.S. Senate race, kicks off ‘SNL’

James Talarico, who helped lead Democratic Party upsets in the Republican stronghold of Texas with his U.S. Senate race victory Tuesday, made a surprise appearance to help kick off the latest episode of “Saturday Night Live.”

The state lawmaker and seminarian defeated GOP state Attorney General Ken Paxton as Democrats secured majorities in the House and Senate and celebrated Gina Hinojosa’s similar upset win against Republican Gov. Greg Abbott.

SNL’s cold open featured New York’s Rep. Hakeem Jeffries (played by Kenan Thompson) and Sen. Chuck Schumer (Sarah Sherman) celebrating Tuesday’s wins, which helped to set up Jeffries as the likely House speaker in January.

Sherman’s Schumer introduced the pair as “establishment Democrats” and asked, “Do we even know how to lose?”

Thompson’s Jeffries answered: “Yes.” Still, he suggested a toast to victory.

“We flipped the House, we flipped the Senate, and how did we do it?” he said.

“Me!” said a party crasher, President Donald Trump, played by James Austin Johnson.

He called the Democrats’ victory wave a “blue Toonami,” referring to Cartoon Network’s late-night block of anime shows, and he indicated he wouldn’t challenge the midterm election’s results.

“I accepted the results, which is almost scarier in a way,”…

Original source: https://www.nbcnews.com/business