“Weekend Update” host Colin Jost took on Donald Trump’s attempt to alleviate concerns about a recent hantavirus outbreak aboard a cruise ship that’s left three passengers dead and several others sick.
Officials have been scrambling to track down and monitor those who disembarked the ship and may have been infected prior to the detection of hantavirus. (Note: Transmission between humans is rare, and the World Health Organization’s website assesses the risk to the global population as low.)
“[That] sounds scary, but let the president calm your fears,” said Jost, teeing up a clip of Trump from Thursday.
Trump, when asked by a reporter if he’d been briefed on the virus, said, “You’re going to be told everything, and you already have” about the recent outbreak.
“It’s very much, we hope, under control,” he said.
Jost reacted to the clip, “Oh, my God, that’s — that’s such great news. But why does that sound familiar?”
The host of the “SNL” news segment then made way for a clip of Trump telling CNBC’s Joe Kernen in January 2020 that the U.S. had the coronavirus “totally under control.”
“It’s one person coming in from China. We have it under control. It’s going to be just fine,” said Trump at the time.
“And it was,” Jost quipped.
“So —,” added the comedian before flashing two thumbs up with a smile.
Watch more from “Weekend Update” in the clips below.