Sometimes a “Saturday Night Live” cold open is a genuine surprise, a distillation of recent history that comes completely out of left field. And then sometimes the events of a past week are outrageous enough that they demand an obvious approach. (In other words, if you were awaiting a sketch about Nikki Haley’s resignation as U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, prepare to be disappointed.)

In his first “S.N.L.” appearance of the season, Alec Baldwin returned to his recurring role as President Trump to help recreate the strange Oval Office meeting that transpired on Thursday between the president and the rapper Kanye West.

Baldwin opened the meeting by announcing, “Thank you all for joining us today for this important discussion. It’s in no way a publicity stunt. This is a serious private conversation between three friends, plus 50 reporters with cameras.”