Some fans believe that RuPaul's Drag Race UK winner The Vivienne does a better impersonation of Donald Trump than Alec Baldwin on Saturday Night Live. Even though Baldwin's Trump helped SNL receive a Peabody Award for political satire in 2017, The Vivienne quickly won fans and top honors in the famed drag competition by lambasting the embattled U.S. president.
Alec Baldwin first began portraying Donald Trump in 2016. His take on the former reality star was to show him as haughty and blustering. He captured Trump's ability to brag without an ounce of self-restraint. Sadly, over time, the impression began to falter, with Baldwin adopting a pronounced pout to play up Trump's signature pursed lips. Overall, some viewers think that Baldwin's Trump is dour and too political. The real Donald Trump is a sensationalist and a talking head. Baldwin's commitment to the Democratic Party makes him a compelling activist, but it translates to a needlessly emotional POTUS performance, and therefore comes across less funny. Meanwhile, The Vivienne treats Trump like he's the biggest goof on the planet, and does so with joy.
Drag has long been a wonderful place for social commentary to play out in a lighthearted manner, and the RuPaul's Drag Race franchise certainly leans in on that. Drag queens and kings have often donned makeup to poke fun at everyone, and The Vivienne is a true master of disguise. Fans of RuPaul's Drag Race UK have also commented on how the drag superstar is able to successfully become an overweight, toxically masculine New Yorker, despite being an ebullient Brit. From the orange skin to the comb-over haircut, The Vivienne's Donald Trump wows on both sides of the pond. It's been so successful, that The Vivienne has posted multiple videos ranging from how to transform into Trump to various parody performance pieces.
Alec Baldwin's Donald Trump impersonation was highly celebrated when it first debuted. Much of America was in shock over the results of the 2016 election, so the impression felt like therapy. However, over time, it became a little stale and meandering. As Donald Trump got more and more drunk on power, Baldwin's satire kept languishing. The energy is just off. The Vivienne's take on Trump is much more lively. It's animated and does a better job of nailing his mania and hubris. Baldwin should really reconsider putting the humor back into his version of Donald Trump. After all, it's kind of a missed opportunity when the real person is even more ridiculous than the spoof.
Everyone knows that Alec Baldwin is an internationally renowned actor who excels in both comedy and drama, but his Trump is sometimes over-exposed. Seeing a fresh take on the character, particularly coming from an unlikely place like the drag community, helps to highlight some of the president's more outlandish dimensions.