Fox News host Bret Baier said he ‘laughed out loud’ at Alec Baldwin’s portrayal of him on Saturday Night Live this week, despite backlash over the impersonation.
Baier told DailyMail.com that he enjoyed watching the 30 Rock star’s parody of his interview with Kamala Harris, admitting ‘my son’s thought it was very, very cool.’
‘I did laugh out loud a number of different times,’ he said. ‘Alec Baldwin is welcome to guest host for me on Special Report anytime.’
While the Fox anchor praised Baldwin’s effort, the actor’s return to SNL received a mixed response.
That is because it marked his first performance since his manslaughter trial for accidentally shooting and killing a female cinematographer in 2021.
Fox News host Bret Baier told DailyMail.com he ‘laughed out loud’ at the Saturday Night Live parody of his interview with Kamala Harris
Alec Baldwin made his return to Saturday Night Live over the weekend – and the backlash was swift due to him recently having his manslaughter charges dropped
Baier’s interview with Kamala Harris saw the Fox News host clash with the vice president on a number of issues, as conservatives praised his aggressive questioning of her record.
However, supporters of Harris’ candidacy claimed Baier ‘ambushed’ her, with CNN contributor Brian Stelter branding him a ‘Trump surrogate.’
In response, Baier told DailyMail.com that he ‘doesn’t even follow’ the opinions of people like Stelter.
He added that liberals didn’t mind so much when he also had a contentious interview with Donald Trump.
‘A lot of those same people we’re applauding when I did my interview with Trump,’ he said.
‘I don’t pay attention to it. I just put horse blinders on and do my job.’
Baldwin portrayed Baier opposite Maya Rudolph’s parody of Kamala Harris on the skit
Baldwin and Rudolph poked fun at the contentious interview and mocked Harris’ word-salad responses to Baier’s questioning
Baldwin appeared opposite Maya Rudolph as they mocked Kamala Harris’ performance in her interview with Baier.
And while Baldwin appeared to be in high spirits during his return to the show, his performance drew mixed reactions as some fans took issue with his comeback so soon after his manslaughter trial fell apart.
‘Why is Alec Baldwin being allowed on SNL? He shot and killed someone on a movie set,’ one X user wrote, citing ‘safety compromises’ that led to the fatal shooting of Halyna Hutchins on the set of Baldwin’s film Rust in October 2021.
‘Omg, an actual murderer jokingly talking about murder on #snl,’ sniped someone else.
‘Thanks for convincing the world how moronic and out of touch you are.’
‘We know that Alec Baldwin shot and killed someone, right?’ added another, years after the actor came under scrutiny for being the one who fired the gun.
Halyna Hutchins, 42, was a mother-of-one and up-and-coming cinematographer when she was fatally shot on the set of ‘Rust’
After a sketch that saw Baldwin and Rudolph relentlessly mock Harris’s 27-minute interview, some similarly slammed the appearance as insensitive.
‘Even if it was an accident, that person is dead. Her family and friends will never see her alive EVER again. Alec Baldwin should show some respect by not showing his face on TV let alone #SNL ever again,’ another person said.
Others rushed to his defense – arguing Baldwin should be able to move on with his career following the tragedy two years ago.
‘I’m sorry people can’t seem to grasp the fact that Alec Baldwin has moved on from his troubles, and just continued to just be the man that he is today- one with a huge heart for so many out there, and his family,’ one person said.
‘Quit b****ing about him coming back to the #SNL spotlight.’
