Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Confirmation Cold Open

Joe Biden… James Austin Johnson

Ketanji Brown Jackson… Ego Nwodim

Chloe Fineman

Ruth Bader Ginsburg… Kate McKinnon

Thurgood Marshall… Kenan Thompson

Harriet Tubman… Punkie Johnson

Jackie Robinson… Chris Redd

[Starts with Joe Biden and Ketanji Brown Jackson at the White House]

Joe Biden: Wow, what a day. Your speak was terrific, Ketanji. I’m sorry, I mean, Supreme Court Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: I bet you can’t say that three times fast.

Joe Biden: I’m shocked I was able to say it one time slow.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Thank you, Mr. President. I’m so grateful, you put me your trust in me.

Joe Biden: Hey, I made a campaign promise to put a black woman on the court and I did. So that’s one campaign promise down and only 74 to go.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Well, I was happy to do my part. Work twice as hard as a white man my entire life and then spend a week listening to Ted Cruz call me a pedophile.

[Chloe walks in]

Chloe: Mr. President, the reception starts in five minutes.

Joe Biden: Thanks. I should go get ready. But Ketaji, it’s a big damn deal. You’re the first black female justice, but won’t be the last. It’s just a normal thing now, like wearing crocs in public?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Thank you.

Joe Biden: Well, you know, take a moment in this room. Feel the weight of history. Sometimes I like to imagine talking to all the great Americans who came before me. You understand what I’m trying to say?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: That you miss Obama?

Joe Biden: Every day. Like crazy.

Chloe: Mr. President, we really really have to go.

Joe Biden: Okay. I’ll see you in a minute. Take your time.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Wow. There is a lot of history in this room. Who would I want to talk to? I know.

[Ruth Bader Ginsburg comes in]

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Nice to meet you.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Ruth Bader Ginsburg, how is this possible?

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: You tell me. It’s your imagination? All right. What do you wanna know?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Well, I’d love to know what advice you have for me as a woman on the Supreme Court.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Okay. Here’s my advice. Always label your lunches. A lot of other justices, they got sticky fingers. And second, if you’re anything like me, white ladies will start wearing buttons to your face like ‘I Voted’ sticker. It’s freaky, but they mean well. Anyway, I just wants to say, I’m so proud of you. I know you can do a great job.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Thank you. That means a lot.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: And look, I know your confirmation process put you through the wringer. But in the end, people do the right thing. I mean, I was confirmed with the Senate 96:3, right? So what was your vote?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: 53:47:fortyseven? Well, yeah, a lot of them walked out and one guy kept asking me if babies are racist.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Ted Cruz

Ketanji Brown Jackson: You know, it was. You should have seen that man. He actually sat there on TV and read a children’s book at me.

Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Well, it was Ted Cruz. So I bet the book was called ‘Good night Cancun’, and that’s a Gins-Burn!

[Ruth Bader Ginsburg leaves dancing] [Thurgood Marshall walks in]

Thurgood Marshall: Did I miss it? Did I miss the Gins-burn? Oh, dang.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Oh, my God, Justice Thurgood Marshall.

Thurgood Marshall: Yes, that’s exactly who you’re imagining. What an exciting day. We’ve come a long way.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Well, thanks to you. You were on the frontlines of the civil rights movement?

Thurgood Marshall: Yep. Yep. I was there when people of color in this country came together with one voice and said enough is enough. And then white folks said, “We’ll, think about it.” But that was a different time.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Some things are still sort of similar.

Thurgood Marshall: Yes? Is there the threat of nuclear war with Russia?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Yes.

Thurgood Marshall: Inflation still popping off?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: For sure.

Thurgood Marshall: Is Joe Biden is still a politician?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Very much so. So what advice do you have for me as a person of color on the Supreme Court?

Thurgood Marshall: Well, never give up. Democracy can be slow and messy. It stumbles, but over time, it moves forward. I mean, I was the first black Supreme Court justice. So you must be what, the 10th? The 20th?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: No, just the third.

Thurgood Marshall: No further questions, your honor.

[Harriet Tubman walks in]

Harriet Tubman: Yeah, I have some questions.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Harriet Tubman?

Harriet Tubman: That’s right. Conductor of the Underground Railroad. My question is, what are we doing in the White House? Did we get in trouble?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Not at all. Actually, because of the bravery of women like you, a lot of doors opened up to a lot of people. I’m on the Supreme Court.

Harriet Tubman: I like that.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: I have a seat at the table.

Harriet Tubman: I like that.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: And I’m going to have this job for the rest of my life.

Harriet Tubman: Don’t like that. Sounds like a trap.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: No, no, no, it’s not like that.

Harriet Tubman: Okay, okay. But if it is, light two candles and meet me in a farmhouse at midnight.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: No, no.I’m good. I’m just excited to get to work. But I would like to talk to one more person who broke down a barrier.

[Jackie Robinson walks in]

Jackie Robinson: Well, that’s me, Jackie Robinson. First black player in the Major Leagues and let me tell you, being the first is kind of fun. Yeah, it’s fun. Here’s my advice, watch out for batteries. You will get so many batteries thrown at you.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Yeah, I think the Supreme Court is too civilized for that.

Jackie Robinson: Oh, that’s what they said about baseball. But they still do those damn batteries. Wish we had helmets back then, ha-ha-ha. But the good news is you’ll probably be making a lot more money than a measly a baseball player.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: I wish. Baseball players today average about $Ruth Bader Ginsburg million a year.

Jackie Robinson: Oh, excuse me for a second. [covers his face with the gloves and screams out loud] Thank you. I’ve been holding it in since 1947.

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Well, thank you all for your advice. It’s a lot of pressure but I will do everything I can to honor your legacy.

Jackie Robinson: Oh, that’s great. So even the bad players the millionaires?

Ketanji Brown Jackson: Yep.

Jackie Robinson: Ain’t that something?

All: Live from New York, it’s Saturday night.

Weekend Update- Ruth Bader Ginsburg on Not Retiring

Colin Jost

Ruth Bader Ginsberg… Kate McKinnon

[Starts with Colin Jost in his set]

Colin Jost: As president, Donald Trump is now in charge of supreme court appointments which many predict will lead to a conservative majority for decades to come. Here to comment is liberal justice, Ruth Bader Ginsberg.

[Ruth Bader Ginsberg slides in]

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Woo! Woo! RBG in the house, baby. I’m never gonna step down now. You can’t get rid of me.

Colin Jost: But justice Ginsberg, I think everyone expected you to retire soon. I mean, you’re 83.

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Yeah. You’re damn right I was gonna retire. [Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg] Clinton was gonna win, I was going straight to the Dominican Republic. Even the last time I was there, they thought I was a zika mosquito. But not now! Not now! Now I gotta stay alive and healthy, dammit! Give me my thing. [Ruth Bader Ginsberg pulls out a packet of vitamins] Excuse me. Gotta take my vitamin.

[Ruth Bader Ginsberg raises the packet and pours the vitamin all over her mouth.] [Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Colin Jost]

Colin Jost: Oh my god. That’s- That’s a packet. [Michael Che laughing] It’s good. It’s good. You got a little– kind of all over. [wiping powder off of Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s face]

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: How dare?

Colin Jost: Alright. Sure. So you have no plans to leave the supreme court>

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Colin, the bench is now my porch. I’m gonna sit down on it all day and scream, “No, get out of my yard.”

Colin Jost: But come on, realistically, how long do you think you can hold on?

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Oh, forever, Colin. [Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg] I’m eating an apple a day to keep Ben Carson away. And by apple, I mean pure human growth hormone. And if that doesn’t work, I’ve hidden horcruxes in all the taverns in the DC metro area.

[Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Colin Jost]

Colin Jost: Now, people are also worried about all these people Trump is choosing for his cabinet. You know, Newt Gingrich, Steve Bannon, Rudy Giuliani.

[Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg]

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: No! Stop it. Too much, Colin. Is that ghoul Giuliani really gonna be our attorney general? Although, if I wanna live forever, maybe I should just let him bite me. Speaking of biting me, Giuliani, you just got Ginsburned!

[Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Colin Jost. Music playing and Ruth Bader Ginsberg is dancing.]

Colin Jost: Crazy on emergency right now. Now, what do you think Trump does next?

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Oh, whatever he wants. [Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg] Thanks to half the country that didn’t even vote. You know, I regretted my comments about Colin Kaepernick. Then this week, he said he didn’t vote. So, I guess this guy takes a knee on everything. And that’s a hot Ginsburn!

[Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Colin Jost. Music playing and Ruth Bader Ginsberg is dancing.]

Colin Jost: Oh god! You know, there are some people like Michael Moore too who say that Trump might get impeached before his four years are even over.

[Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg]

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Oh, great! And then we’ll get Pence. ‘The gay people can’t get a pizza’ guy. Awesome. Even though, I’m sorry, to me he kind of looks like the neighbor who kisses Kevin Spacey in ‘American Beauty.’ Hey, Mike Pence, sorry you looked at Magnum PI once and got a quarter chub and you’e been haunted by it ever since. And that’s a gay Ginsburn!

[Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Colin Jost. Music playing and Ruth Bader Ginsberg is dancing.]

Colin Jost: Justice!

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: It might not be just emergency.

Colin Jost: Um, is there anything that can be done, do you think?

[Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg]

Ruth Bader Ginsberg: Yeah, yeah. Of course. Obama can confirm Merrick Garland tomorrow. And that way, I can finally leave DC, get this little beach house in Aruba I’ve had my eye on. Um! I just need the hermit crab inside it to die and I’m in, baby! And that’s not a Ginsburn. That’s a sunburn.

[Cut to Ruth Bader Ginsberg and Colin Jost. Music playing and Ruth Bader Ginsberg is dancing.]

Colin Jost: Wow. Ruth Bader Ginsberg, everyone.

Michael Che: For Weekend Update, I’m Michael Che.

Colin Jost: I’m Colin Jost. Goodnight.