\n<\/p>\n
\n\tPete Davidson returned to Saturday Night Live<\/em>, this time to play Donald Trump\u2019s border czar as he tries, without much success, to teach restraint to Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents after the chaos in Minneapolis.<\/p>\n \n\tDavidson doesn\u2019t look much at all like Homan, but the point was to skewer the fact that Homan, who was the face of the family separation policy in Donald Trump\u2019s first term, is now the one being brought in to bring some moderation to the paramilitary-like operation. Homan also reportedly was caught on tape accepting $50,000 in cash by undercover FBI agents when he was a private consultant. Homan has denied he took the money.<\/p>\n \n\tThe skit came in the aftermath of the death of Renee Good and Alex Pretti, both killed by federal agents in incidents in Minneapolis that Trump administration figures initially defended as acts of self-defense. But bystander video quickly contradicted Trump administration claims.<\/p>\n \n\tIn the skit, Davidson\u2019s Homan addressed a group of federal agents, who very quickly reveal their lack of training.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cLet\u2019s talk about use of force. When do we want to use force?\u201d Davidson\u2019s Homan asked the agents.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cRight away,\u201d one agent responded. <\/p>\n \n\t\u201cNo, think of the opposite,\u201d Homan responded.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cPreemptively,\u201d another agent answered.<\/p>\n \n\t\u201cAlso no. It\u2019s kind of a trick question, because we actually don\u2019t want to use force. Remember, the job, ultimately, is about keeping America safe from \u2026 what?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAnother agent responded, \u201cThis could be wrong, but, Don Lemon?\u201d <\/p>\n \n\tLemon was arrested this week on federal charges related to his coverage of an anti-ICE protest earlier this month in a St. Paul, MN church. He was released on his own recognizance Friday, but First Amendment groups have widely condemned the Trump administration as trying to chill news organizations in their reporting on the immigration crackdown.<\/p>\n \n\tAfter last weekend\u2019s shooting of Pretti led to Republican calls for congressional hearings, Trump put Homan in charge of the Minnesota operation, with Border Patrol\u2019s Greg Bovino removed from his role leading the federal crackdown in the state. Bovino\u2019s appearance \u2014 with a buzzcut and wearing a long military overcoat \u2014 were compared to the look of a Third Reich German.<\/p>\n \n\tIn tonight\u2019s skit, Davidson\u2019s Homan said, \u201cI\u2019m sure a lot of you are wondering why Greg Bovino, the last guy, was dismissed. I want to stress that it wasn\u2019t because he did a bad job, or publicly lied about the shooting of an American citizen, or even, uh, dressed like a Nazi. It was that he was filmed doing those things, and the president don\u2019t like that.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tNeither Good nor Pretti were mentioned by name in the skit. But there was a reference to the fact that Pretti was carrying a weapon, although bystander video did not show that he brandished it, and showed that a federal agent had retrieved the gun before he was shot.<\/p>\n \n\tIn the skit, one of the ICE agents asked Homan, \u201cSome of these people protesting have guns that shouldn\u2019t be allowed, right?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHoman responded, \u201cWell, let\u2019s flip it around, right? How many of you went to the Stop the Steal protest with a loaded automatic weapon.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tAll the hands go up. <\/p>\n \n\tDavidson\u2019s Homan replied, \u201cOkay, that is all of you, so you got to do better. Look, I\u2019m Tom Homan. okay. I\u2019m the separating-families-at-the-border guy. I\u2019m the guy on film taking a $50,000 bribe guy, and you are all making me look like the upstanding, reasonable adult in the room. That\u2019s crazy.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tThe skit ended with Davidson\u2019s Homan telling the agents, \u201cLook, the situation out there has been rough, and we need to lower the temperature. So let\u2019s get out there. Let\u2019s show some restraint. Let\u2019s do our job without violating anyone\u2019s rights as Americans. Can you do that?\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tOne agent responded, \u201cNo.\u201d<\/p>\n \n\tHoman replied, \u201cWell, I had to ask. Maybe just try not to get filmed.\u201d <\/p>\n<\/div>\n