Sean Spicer Hides In Bushes, Denies Russia Ties In Melissa McCarthy 'SNL' Sketch

Fans had much to look forward to on this week’s second-to-last episode of “Saturday Night Live” hosted by Melissa McCarthy. With tensions in the White House seemingly reaching a fever pitch over the last week with President Donald Trump’s firing of FBI Director James Comey and mumblings of White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer hiding in bushes and demanding darkness, the SNL writers certainly had plenty of material with which to work.

Saturday’s episode opened with a bang, beginning with a parody of a President Trump’s NBC News interview with Lester Holt Thursday. But far and away Saturday’s fan favorite was McCarthy’s “Sean Spicer Returns” sketch, during which the show mercilessly skewered the chaos that followed Comey’s Tuesday dismissal.

Aidy Bryant opened the sketch — which was the No. 1 trending video on YouTube well into Sunday afternoon — as Principal Deputy White House Press Secretary Sarah Huckabee Sanders, who was present Wednesday at a White House press briefing about President Trump’s decision to fire Comey. The sketch wasted no time before poking fun the alleged “bush hiding” that many fans speculated would be a highlight of Saturday’s episode. McCarthy’s “Spicey” could be seen peering in from outside the White House looking confused and distraught.

Read: Watch Sean Spicer Impersonator Melissa McCarthy Ride A Podium Around NYC In Hilarious 'SNL' Stunt

“Spicey” wasn’t absent from his motorized White House podium for long, however, as he returned to his press throne to further accost the room of inquiring journalists. “Spicey’s back, Sarah’s out!” said McCarthy to huge applause from the SNL audience. The 8-minute clip finds “Spicey” attacking New York Times White House correspondent Glenn Thrush (a recurring bit), denying the Trump administration’s alleged Russia ties and defending the president’s decision to fire Comey. The highlight, however, was McCarthy’s character addressing rumors of Spicer’s own impending dismissal.

Just a day ahead of the episode’s airing, McCarthy took the streets of NYC in full Spicer makeup atop the motorized podium to build hype for Saturday’s episode. Fans were thrilled to catch the comedian going full “Spicey” on pedestrians and passing cars as she cruised around Fifth Avenue. If the clip’s nearly 2 million views are to be believed, McCarthy more than delivered.