America reacts to Tom Hanks wearing MAGA hat in SNL skit

Tom Hanks has caused a riot on social media after he made an appearance on SNL’s 50th birthday special wearing a MAGA hat.

Tom Hanks has copped backlash from Trump supporters on social media after he was seen sporting a MAGA cap on live TV.

The Hollywood star made an appearance on the SNL 50th birthday celebrations to star in a sketch as a racist character named Doug.

Hanks wore a “Make America Great Again” cap and spoke with a Southern accent during the segment, which divided viewers.

In the sketch, Hanks’ character also seemingly refused to shake hands with a character played by Kenan Thompson because of his skin colour.

Tom Hanks copped backlash for portraying a racist Trump supporter on SNL. Picture: X

Popular right-wing commentator Benny Johnson raged at SNL over the satirical sketch, remarking on X: “Donald Trump just won a landslide election and has never been more popular with Americans. They have learned nothing.”

Another popular conservative personality, Mario Nawfal, described the sketch as “tone deaf.” “Hollywood still doesn’t get it: Portraying Trump supporters as racist caricatures while he’s winning record minority support. SNL’s trying 2016 jokes in 2025,” he remarked on X.

Another Trump supporter agreed, remarking: “Trump won the popular vote. This tired trope that MAGA is racist is disgusting. SNL is an unfunny show for snobbish liberal elites. The current Republican Party is a big tent coalition compromised of many former Democrats. Good riddance, SNL!”

Hanks was among an array of stars to make an appearance on the SNL special. Picture: X

Former Robert F. Kennedy Jr. aide Link Lauren called the character “disgusting” and accused SNL of pushing a tired, divisive narrative.

However, others came out in support of the segment, with many poking fun at Trump supporters seemingly becoming the “snowflakes” they claim to be so frustrated by.

“’No one watches SNL anymore..’ says the MAGA dude who was obviously watching SNL,” joked one.

“MAGA has tons of conspiracies about Tom, so it must be especially painful for them,” commented another.

While a third hit back: “The same people who think they should be able to say racist jokes because they’re ‘just’ jokes are having issues over a joke.”

During the rest of the comedy special Trump was regularly made the butt of the joke by the cast.

At the start of the show, Steve Martin, 79, poked fun at Trump after saying he had been on a boat in ‘The Gulf of Steve Martin’, in reference to Trump’s recent renaming of The Gulf of Mexico to The Gulf of America.