"SNL" predicted this: Eric Trump inadvertently spills the beans on his unethical relationship with his father

Alex Moffatt's depiction of Eric Trump as a simpleton who accidentally tells the truth was sharper than we thought

By Matthew Rozsa

Staff Writer

Published March 24, 2017 6:20PM (EDT)

 (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)
(AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta, File)

Eric Trump just made a blunder predicted by "Saturday Night Live" earlier this month.

In a March 4 skit, "Saturday Night Live" comedian Alex Moffatt depicted President Donald Trump's third child as a simpleton who can't help but clumsily disclose how ethically inappropriate his family's business ties are now that his father occupies the White House. When Trump's other son, Donald Jr. (played by Mikey Day), discusses the Trump Organization with "Weekend Update" host Colin Jost, Donald Jr. confidently proclaims that "the only people making decisions regarding the Trump Organization are Eric and myself."

"And Dad!" Moffat's Eric interjects.

"No no," Donald Jr. says, attempting a bit of damage control. "Remember, Eric? Dad does not tell us what to do anymore!"

"Yeah he does," Eric casually responds. Fortunately for Donald Jr. and his father, Eric is quickly distracted when Donald Jr. lets him play on his phone.

Unfortunately for the real Eric, Donald Jr. wasn't there to bail him out when he made almost the exact same blunder in an interview with Forbes magazine published on Friday.

The eldest Trump son started out well enough, telling Forbes, "I do not talk about the government with him, and he does not talk about the business with us," referring to his father. "That’s kind of a steadfast pact we made, and it’s something that we honor."

Very shortly afterward, however, his younger brother accidentally told the truth.

Eric admitted that he does discuss "the bottom line, profitability reports and stuff like that, but you know, that’s about it" with his father. When asked about the regularity with which he does so, Eric said, "depending, yeah, depending," before clarifying (after being asked whether it might be quarterly), "yeah, probably quarterly.”

Eric capped off the remarkable exchange with a boast that could have come out of Moffatt's mouth: "My father and I are very close. I talk to him a lot. We’re pretty inseparable."

It's worth noting that shortly after the skit aired, Donald Jr. posted an Instagram photograph ridiculing the characterization of his brother as a simpleton who eats Cheerios from a bBaggie and struggles to open a Capri Sun juice pouch.


Do you think the Trumps are still laughing now?


By Matthew Rozsa

Matthew Rozsa is a staff writer at Salon. He received a Master's Degree in History from Rutgers-Newark in 2012 and was awarded a science journalism fellowship from the Metcalf Institute in 2022.

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Donald Trump Eric Trump Saturday Night Live Trump Organization Video